To Frank's point of what did we do before COA. We did it the through legwork. Thankfully over 25 years I steadily put together a cradle to current day history on my 73 car. Had a good start but added others including fahrzeug-auftrag, factory importer and original dealer documentation and confirmation of authenticity personally addressed letters from factory. Original green UK registration log book that was superceded when vehicle licencing was centralised/computerized, every owner change / cherished licence plate swap from UK vehicle licencing body when it was allowed to provide such info. Lot of legwork over 25 years tracing then meeting people who owned and specialists who looked after car - the POs are now friends. Given photos of car back in their ownership etc. Letters and copies of deposit and final balance sales transaction. PPI reports from specialits done eighties The first owner even gave me written permission to investigate the car history -- at a stroke side-stepping personal data protection issues where his personal data was shown on 45 year old records. The original ( retired) selling dealer principal remembered selling and personally collecting car from Harper's yard which was GB importer place in West London for preparation of new cars. Even told me original purchaser name and home town unprompted after all these years.He kindly gave me various rare documents from his dealership when downsizing home to put in car history file for safekeeing. These good people put Porsche, particularly certain unresponisve factory staff, to shame by providing time, help and info so graciously for free! Certainly their input adds provenance and confidence when so many sketchy history and imposter cars out there.
While it is getting harder no doubt, to be clear some of this info was obtained very recently in fact one formerly missing important tidbit arrived only yesterday. In fairness wouldn't like to start out from scratch these days but PORSCHE are not the only source and angle for research. Expecting to get everything one shot sevice for a vintage vehicle they last saw in OEM network four decades ago is possibly unrealistic. Is the thinking and expectation these days conditioned by our everything should now be available in minutes experience of www and smartphone apps. When the www din't exist there were ways.
Porsche may be the last place to start as some of the folks they employ at factory these days don't seem to give a damn and are actually sometimes rude. I understand companies have regulations and legal considerations but this can be an excuse. When someone in Porsche Germany ignores an email and polite reminder for three months then in my book they've lost the plot on customer relations. A person with PR role for crying out loud! I got fed up with the individual so involved Porsche C--Suite -- I happen to work in Auto / Motorsport industry so had contact -- the unresponsive PR employee then answered the overdue email the very next day and was very apologetic. I can't think of any other corporation that ignores polite correspondence from enthusiastic member of public who own their company's product!
Wasn't always that way. Sadly I miss the old guard at factory who were enthusiasts themselves so helped when approached in the right spirit. Some archive documents would've been destroyed if some hadn't saved them personally.
It doesn't bode well for any new Porsche chargeable authentication service that the only thing I was ever was charged for among the pile of old car history papers was the pre-payment made to Porsche for the COA which had incorrect info - not once but twice. l corrected Porsche COA based on the definitive original source info I already had. Frankly wonder they would've changed content anyway without the hard evidence so of any document this COA is the least value despite the pretty official looking signed format. The Porsche UK exec who signed the COA with repeat factual errors for a lousy fifty quid service should be ashamed. Integrity of brand when authenticity certificate wrong info gets signed off by director of company - unacceptable attention to detail for an OEM. Shocking frankly. That's why I wouldn't trust any COA let alone the watered down offerings. Also as mentioned previously, what store can be put on the new offering depends on who did it and using what criteria. Would be interesting to see which Porsche GB technician from classic roster of staff would do a check for RHD first series RS and how much they really knew. I certainly shan't bother to find out. I once went to the main dealer who were formerly sister retailer to country importer to get a spare part for that model and a counter guy asked me "what's a Carrera RS". Of course can't know all details of every model but other ways of handling it without casting doubt on OEM credibility in their own classic capability. Says it all sadly.
This forum plus DDK is a helpful resource so that's why I chip in with bits I know and ask questions !!!
Steve
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