The third 911 ever built is also still out there (1964)

[patrick911]

does this LHD car have windshield-wipers resting on the passenger side - or would they be just parked there to have a point to connect the flowers to?

[Bobs 67S]

Wiper park was a moving target. Obviously there were left park and right park and many early photos showing 1964 cars with each.

Right park won out after the Monte Carlo race car #055 had it's park changed mid race in January 1965. Herbert Linge was driving from a low race seat, and he is a shorter guy, that race was the snowiest of all time with the wipers packing snow at the bottom of the windshield, mid-rally the photos show the park position changed. In the spring of 1965 car reviews included, in a long list of features, "wipers parked in the 'correct' placement" on the right side.

Photo 1 Prior to the race at the factory. Left side

Photo 2 After the wiper change.

Photo 3 During the last stages of the rally

And another 1964 car #149 with it's never changed wiper position (even though the owner took a lot of flak for the flat rear license panel (questioned as surely a bad repair) and those wipers (questioned as surely on the wrong park side)... Both items were as the car left the factory.

[patrick911]

Thanks Bob - the knowledge on this site never ceases to amaze me!

[IAA1963]

It seems Freisinger is restoring 300069.
http://www.freisinger-motorsport.de/...tail/2896.html

[911T1971]

Hear what you are saying. However one(at least I do) then has to question the term "prototype" and whether that applies or whether they should just be called "Test" cars instead.

I was able to do further research at Porsche how they defined the 901 develiopment and also why 300007 was officially the "first" 901, while 300001 and 300002 were still noted as Prototyps (or rather "Vor-serien Fahrzeuge" ie "Pre-series vehicule).
Back then, the factory defined 3 categories:

-T8 (901) Prototyps: built almost completely by hand (Karmann, later the factory) and with various parts not seen on other prototyps, all had 13xxx numbers. These 13xxx cars also were noted as cars with "Ersatzkarrosserien" ie replacement shells. These cars were the first realisations of what was beforehand just designed on plans and various scale models. 13321 was the very first Prototyp but after 13330, the next one was 13352. 13360 was used as Convertible and Targa prototyp, 13396 also.
(as reported by the current owner of prototyp 13007 "Barbarossa", even the car's roofline was unique, side windows shape are unique as well as the 2-dial dashboard and many other parts, indicating not one 13xxx was similar to another 13xxx or 901)

-Vorserienwagen (901) ie "Pre-series" cars, cars used for all kind of testing (engine, suspensions, tires, interiors, maintenance, some also used as Press cars and/or show cars), these cars were still built mostly by hand -mostly at the factory itself- but usually had much more built similarities amongst themselves.
Factory records show that at least 300001 and 300002 were still noted as Vorserienwagen.

-0 serie/Nullserie (901) ie "Zero serie", cars built at the factory on the fully fonctional factory production line. Parts were now as much as possible standardsized and cars were not built in the same manner as prototyps or Vorserienwagen. From these type of cars, usually 50 cars were built. Factory records show that 300007 was the first car of this Nullserie.

[Frank Beck]

I was able to do further research at Porsche how they defined the 901 develiopment and also why 300007 was officially the "first" 901, while 300001 and 300002 were still noted as Prototyps (or rather "Vor-serien Fahrzeuge" ie "Pre-series vehicule).
Back then, the factory defined 3 categories:

-T8 (901) Prototyps: built almost completely by hand (Karmann, later the factory) and with various parts not seen on other prototyps, all had 13xxx numbers. These 13xxx cars also were noted as cars with "Ersatzkarrosserien" ie replacement shells. These cars were the first realisations of what was beforehand just designed on plans and various scale models. 13321 was the very first Prototyp but after 13330, the next one was 13352. 13360 was used as Convertible and Targa prototyp, 13396 also.
(as reported by the current owner of prototyp 13007 "Barbarossa", even the car's roofline was unique, side windows shape are unique as well as the 2-dial dashboard and many other parts, indicating not one 13xxx was similar to another 13xxx or 901)

-Vorserienwagen (901) ie "Pre-series" cars, cars used for all kind of testing (engine, suspensions, tires, interiors, maintenance, some also used as Press cars and/or show cars), these cars were still built mostly by hand -mostly at the factory itself- but usually had much more built similarities amongst themselves.
Factory records show that at least 300001 and 300002 were still noted as Vorserienwagen.

-0 serie/Nullserie (901) ie "Zero serie", cars built at the factory on the fully fonctional production line. Parts were now as much standardsized as possible. From theses cars, usually 50 cars were built. Factory records show that 300007 was the first car of this serie.

Uh Oh.


This is going to poke a hornet's nest.

[Frank Beck]

Any pics of 003 yet?

[911T1971]

Here is a period Photo of 300003, according to a source.
Ferry Porsche with his secretary Helene Werkmeister, 1964.





And here a factory document about 300003, built September 15th, signed by Helmut Bott.
Note how it says "Wagen von Herrn Porsche"
(on a side note: in factory documents, Butzi was always noted as "Herrn Porsche jr.", his father always as "Herrn Porsche").
Its the first test drive of this car, two months before a client received any 901.
The report compares 300003 to "Wagen 901/8" and "901/9". Could be 300008 and 300009, built on Sept 22 and 24th, respectvely.
Report/"Aktennotiz" below say that car 300003 had vibrations above 140km/h and the steering wheel vibrated at any time.
Engine on cold was not running properly but engine power good, heating not yet working properly since cant be completly stopped, Transmission/gear change still hard to use, Brakes good but tuning not good, straight-direction driving of car not satisfying, oversteers in curve, strong wheight/balance reactions of car at throttle changes. Rattle noises in left door and behind right, passenger window is not flush with chassis and at 180km/h, moves out by about 10mm (!) (about 1/2 inch), Seat too high.
Signed September 18th 1964.

[Frank Beck]

Having the first 911 that Ferdinand farted in would indeed be significant.

So according to post #5 003 is a cabriolet?

[911T1971]

on a sidenote - In a new book of Aichele written in 2009 -available only in German- the author writes that a new 901 prototyp was found in the USA.
Its VIN is 13415. According to Aichele it was a test car for US (specs). I currently have no further infos neither pics.