Porsche research sources: registries, archives and books

The old version of this page was a short list of links, including the Erwin Komenda archive and a question: “Who really designed the 911?” Both still matter. This version sorts sources by what they can prove.

Which Porsche documents can you order from the factory?

You can order three kinds of factory document, and each answers a different question.

The Porsche Certificate of Authenticity guide covers costs and what each document can and cannot confirm.

Which registries and clubs hold chassis knowledge?

Registries and clubs hold the working knowledge of chassis numbers, options and restoration history that factory records do not publish.

• Porsche Register: car-by-car records for important chassis, including 901 prototype 13325.
• Early 911S Registry: the leading enthusiast community for 1965–1989 911s.
• Porsche Club of America Tech Q&A: answers from technical experts on Kardex requests, engine numbers and matching numbers.
• 911flachbau.com: a model history focused on the factory slant nose.
• This archive’s VIN guides: the Porsche VIN decoder with guides to 911 chassis numbers, 356 chassis numbers and the Porsche VIN check.

Which books do specialists cite?

Specialists cite books built on factory archive access. For the 901 and early 911 the standard references are Tobias Aichele’s works on 911 development, including Porsche 911: Forever Young, and Jürgen Lewandowski’s 901 book. Karl Ludvigsen’s Excellence Was Expected covers Porsche engineering history broadly. Excellence magazine’s long-form research consolidates much of this material.

Where are the primary sources on Porsche’s wartime history?

The primary sources on Porsche’s wartime history are the corporate histories Porsche and Volkswagen commissioned from independent historians, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s documentation of forced labour at the Volkswagen works. Volkswagen maintains a Place of Remembrance of Forced Labour in Wolfsburg. The documented record is summarised on the Ferdinand Porsche and Hitler page.

Who designed the 911?

That question from the old page has a documented answer and a disputed one. Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche is credited by the factory; the heirs of body designer Erwin Komenda have argued otherwise in German courts. The evidence is laid out in who designed the Porsche 911.

How should you treat forums and sale listings?

Treat forums and listings as a record of claims. They are useful for finding where a story started, who repeated it and which details changed along the way. They are not evidence that a car is what the story says. The $21 million “911 T prototype” case file shows what happens when a listing is mistaken for a record.