Porsche Factory Delivery Celebrates 70th Anniversary
If you are spec’ing out a new Porsche, one option box you should definitely consider is European delivery.
If you are lucky enough to be ordering a brand-new Porsche 911 Targa or one of the new 911 Turbos, there is no bad place to pick it up. In fact, if I were told I had to collect my new Lava Orange Targa 4S in Transylvania on Halloween at midnight, I would not hesitate for a moment. However, if given the choice, taking delivery directly from the Porsche factory would be the cherry on top of the experience.
Porsche has been offering the factory delivery program to its customers since 1950. On May 26 of that year a gentleman by the name of Ottomar Domnick became the first person to collect his car directly from the factory. The car was a Porsche 356 in Fish Silver with the commission number 5001. From that day forward the factory delivery program became the preferred method of collecting your new Porsche.
Way back in 1990 when I was just a just a 20-year old kid, I managed to weasel my way into a Porsche factory tour in Stuttgart and part of that was observing the delivery process. How I managed to get myself into that tour is a story for another time but suffice to say from that point forward it was something I always wanted to do. I watched a gentleman take delivery of his new Guards Red, 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. To this day I never forgot that moment and it was not even my car. Seeing all the factory fresh Porsches was almost too much to bear.
Although I have yet to collect my own Porsche from the factory, the option is there as the program is still going strong. Last year 2,500 people collected their new car from the factory in Stuttgart. Nearly 3,000 more took delivery in Leipzig. Back in the day, you could sometimes save a bit of money by doing the factory delivery, but sadly that is no longer the case. Depending on the model, it will typically cost a couple thousand dollars for the factory delivery. However, in talking to several of my local dealers most were willing to cover at least half, if not all the cost if I ordered a car through them.
The experience has always been special but has evolved over the years. The experience varies slightly depending on which factory you collect your car from, but both are fantastic. You are seeing your car for the very first time at the factory which is exciting enough but included in the experience is much more. You get a tour of the factory. Your vehicle delivery is performed by a trained instructor. You get entry into the Porsche Museum, and lunch. A one-night hotel stay is included as well as taxi vouchers to and from the factory. Sixteen days of vehicle insurance and registration are included. If your delivery happens to be in the winter months, no worries, sixteen days of winter tire use is included as well.
Of course, after you take delivery you can do whatever you want with your new Porsche. Take it to the Nürburgring, drive through the Black Forrest, the options are nearly endless. Once your adventure is over, you drop your car back off at a designated location and it is shipped home to you. If you are getting a new Porsche, what better way to break it in?
Photos: Porsche; Joe Kucinski
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