Photos of cars with factory plates

[HughH]

Steve
LB DX 72 was 911 360 0982 see some more pictures from 1973 Le Mans below It was a "Sales Department" car

[911MRP]

Thanks Hugh. That black and white shot was one I had in mind as pretty sure we have discussed it before but the static colour photo in pit lane came to hand first so I just went with that. Evidently road registered late second series touring with S equivalent trim driving lamps through silver cutout grilles was deemed sufficient to lead off the specialised racers — not sure if that car was used in event beyond that initial lap ( doubt it) but the RS was being touted as Germany’s fastest car at time so the model was a reasonable choice for the role and Porsche sale no doubt liked the publicity for their new car.

There was an RS safety / pace car at the Monaco GP in 73 too. I recall we discussed it and its registration plate but it’s late here and don’t have the image to hand.

Don’t know if they had to manoeuvre get it or it just landed in their lap. Either way it seems like the factory managed to get the road registered RS models prominent roles as pace/safety cars since 24h Le Mans and Monaco GP events are highly prestigious international motor races. Probably ideal opportunity to signpost this 911 homologation special, a road-racer, being the the future basis of the factory’s racing efforts just the rule changes agreed at the FIA meeting at RAC were due to change things in coming seasons. Ideal outcome for the unconventional RS development programme that Porsche sales and marketing who had tried hard to kill it to get this PR coup so soon after achieving the goal of homologation certification of 500 plus 500 more just two month prior. That in addition to immediate sell out at RS launch I wonder if a few folks in Porsche racing engineering community secretly enjoyed seeing the sales and marketing folks of VG change their tune and jump on the bandwagon by providing car(s)?

Steve

[uai]

Hi Steve, LEO was Leonberg and it would be for cars that are registered for Weissach Factory opposed to S for Stuttgart.
Today LEO is mostly BB so some of the pre series and Erlkönige are running BB plates.
Tha map liked above is dated 2013.
Soe of the older Plates are now available again if you live in that region, so LEO, VAI, HOR, HCH and lots more are possible to get again.
Also lots Porsche Cars are running LB nowadays as the Company is spread all over that region.

[911MRP]

Thanks Uli that helps explain and shows how they pulled RS examples from the different corners of the operation as needed for these purposes.

So the LeMans pace car Hugh notes as being a sales car (which outside North America was VW-Porsche the 50:50 sales joint venture) was based in Ludwigsburg.

I have the original English press release, and original brochure for my first series RS and the address on tbe literature is Ludwigsburg (hence LD)

However the RS photographed to be used in the A4 addendum (inserted as an errata) into the RS brochure to explain the Carrera graphic's late change on form — positive to negative — is one with plate from the main factory in Stuttgart where assembled ( hence S )

These materials are original to my first series car still all together in the original folder branded VW-Porsche

The car used in the magazine campaign is early examples ( we know the VIN) have the positive script were from the development centre at Weissach hence LEO. The cars photographed in the RS brochure ( which was produced quickly outside the normal process due to the nature of the homologation project ]) do not have plates but do show the positive decal.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]612959[/ATTACH

This is Weissach pictured on this aerial shot taken around 1972

With investment by 1972 at time of the RS programme it had grown from a basic skid circle with rudimentary hut in the sixties to what’s is shown.

Since the 73 RS was never sold officially in USA the Porsche + Audi material isn’t really applicable although I know material on RS rather teasingly did appear in USA with that P+A mark.

That locations were relevant to production TES and 914 of course but this post is just picking up the input and tying together the examples in the pictures posted here of RS examples with factory plates

Steve

[Eric Gratz]

“Chassis 9110301339 was allocated to the Porsche Product Developing Department (code WE 100) in early 1970, according to internal factory documents sourced directly from Porsche’s archives.

Period documentation with the car includes the Pflegepass (service book) issued to “W.E. (Vic Elford)”, along with the Kraftfahrzeugbrief (registration document) showing Stuttgart number plate S-U 5830.”

https://www.elferspot.com/en/car/por...-1970-2503443/

Previous mentions:

https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...k-Vics%94-911S

https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...ers-Cars/page5



And a partial plate of S-U 58XX, serial number unknown, at the 1971 Le Mans

[Eric Gratz]

911 with Stuttgart plate S-T 5764 at 1970 Le Mans along with the three Porsche 917s and the Wyer transporter.

Photo credit: Getty Images