Ten Fifty-nine

[911T1971]

Rick, as I wrote you on three separate emails, you got the postal adresses of Veronique Siffert (daughter) and Philippe Siffert (son). Also, I provided the adress of journalist Laurent Missbauer, a friend of them.

You might prepare a photo documentation about your car and sent it to all three of them. They understand english. Tell them what you need, what you beleive (personal car of Siffert prior to Ex-Milou 1971 911S ?) and all important details. Provide your email adress. Wait.

If you never get an answer from them, I call them. But I prefer we give them the proper infos first to let have them answer to your case.
Best K

[72targa]

What a wonderful opportunity to contact the family. Hope the documentation packet generates the desired result! We know you'll keep us posted, Rick!

[911T1971]

here is Siffert's wife in a 911, Monza 1970 or 1971.
Source: www.josiffert.com (run by Philippe Siffert)

[Chuck Miller]

WOW.... GREAT link Karim

[LongRanger]

Done a few short ‘run-around-the-block’ kinda drives, over the last few weeks --- and I’m still hoping/planning/scheming to escape to the coast next week --- w/ 1059 . . . drive The One (!!!) . . . but mostly, what I’ve been trying to do is find a way to connect with the Sifferts

Honestly --- I didn’t think it’d be this hard. Recalling Milou’s adventures w/ another Siffert car, a year-and-a-half back, I was expecting all of this to be somewhat familiar territory. And I already knew some of the participants --- so, I guess I figured/expected that this would go quick . . .

Nope

If you can’t already tell --- Karim has been a huge help, here. Names, photos + details, addresses . . . even translations. Whenever things slow-down, go off-track . . . Karim comes through, fires me + things up

Like w/ three letters --- one each + going-out to Veronique + Phillipe, the Kids . . . and one to Laurent Missbauer --- a Journo who, I’ve heard/read, is something of an expert on Matters Siffert. Karim has graciously offered to translate the following into a serviceable/proper/polite French . . .



Hello . . .

My name is Rick Kreiskott and I own a 1970 Porsche 911 that once belonged to Jo Siffert. I am trying to document the history of this car, and so, I am writing to you --- hoping that you can help me.

My car is very similar to another Porsche that you may be familiar with --- a car once owned by Thomas Seydoux. Mine is an earlier model --- and one that Mr Siffert would have owned longer . . . possibly more than a year.

Here is what I have learned so far. My car has had eight owners. I found it 4 years-ago in North Carolina. Before that, it was in Florida. And before that, it was in California, where it was imported from Switzerland, in 1982. Recently, I discovered that the car was originally built for Porsche’s ‘Versuch’ Department, in early 1970, then sold to Jo Siffert, in April 1971. (I have included a copy of a document that shows this) I believe that Mr Siffert used this car as his own for most of that time.

Fortunately, after all these years, the car is in good condition, and has always had proper care. Some repairs have been made to the body-work, but, otherwise --- except for new paint, a different driver’s seat and steering wheel . . . the car is mostly stock and original.

But the car has several unusual features. Some features may have been added since Mr Siffert owned the car. But there are some that, I believe, were known to him --- or his wife, Simone. This is why I am writing.

Enclosed are several photographs showing some of car’s features . . .

Picture #1
The car was originally equipped with several factory options, including an expensive radio that came with an electric power antenna. This antenna was located on the right-front fender, and would only extend when the radio was playing

Picture #2
The car was equipped with a rear windshield wiper

Picture #3
The car was fitted with two electric air-horns, mounted up inside the left front wheel well --- in addition to the regular Porsche horns. These horns would have been very very loud

Picture #4
The car has a fire extinguisher mounted on the floor. This extinguisher is very old --- early ‘70s . . .

[LongRanger]

. . . But here are some of the unusual features . . .

Picture #5
The inside of the right rear trailing arm has the number ‘382’ hand-painted on it, in white

Picture #6 and #7
These are pictures of the car, taken in the early ‘80s. There are several unusual features shown in this picture
..a) There was a Porsche shield painted onto the lower part of both front fenders
..b) The front bumper is a later type replacement

We also discovered, when the car was being repainted, that it had been in an accident, and that both left-front and left-rear quarter panels had been replaced --- with factory parts . . . then professionally/expertly repaired. This repair was very elaborate; this type of work and the materials used date the repair to the early ‘70s. Does anyone recall Mr. Siffert’s car ever being in such an accident?

But the most unusual feature is this . . .

Picture #8
The glove box has been re-upholstered in a bold two-tone green fabric. In all my years of involvement with cars --- I have never seen anything like this. None of the owners that I have contacted even knew that this feature existed. To me, this seems very personal.


I do not wish to upset or disturb you. I only recently found out that my car once belonged to your father. You can imagine my excitement --- and my curiosity. I also understand that you may not remember this car . . . or any of its details or history. You were very young when this car was your Father’s.

But --- perhaps . . . you know someone who would remember . . .

The Green Car . . .

. . . with the radio --- and the antenna that popped-up . . .

. . . the loud horns . . .



. . . and the glove box



Please look at these pictures. Show them . . . to anyone who knew your Father, then. And --- when you have a moment? . . . please contact me. Tell me if anyone remembers.

Thank you for your time.


Sincerely . . .



After Karim finishes, I’ll hand-write each note, add photos + pkg + mail . . . then, wait

I like to think of myself as ‘direct,’ and ‘to-the-point’ --- but . . . there’s a flip-side to that. Blunt can also = crude, rough. And I don’t know these people. And I’m not sure how letters like this --- outta the blue . . . ‘ll be received. I mean, I think that all this kinda stuff --- stories, pictures, questions --- and all about a car that disappeared forty-some years ago . . . is pretty exciting + fun

But --- the last time any Sifferts saw 1059 . . . could not have been pleasant/happy, or fun . . .

. . . so . . . I need to be careful, here

My correspondents will be people who were very young --- like the Veronique + Phillipe . . . or perhaps not yet born --- like Mr Missbauer . . . when 1059 left the Sifferts

But . . . my real audience is those family members who would’ve known the car when she was Jo Siffert’s . . . and who may still remember her . . . perhaps rode in her, or worked on her, or taken some few pictures . . .


. . . or touched the glove-box . . .



. . . maybe --- left their ghost in the machine

[LongRanger]

. . . the appraisal came back . . .

. . . $225k . . .

[Mr9146]

. . . the appraisal came back . . .

. . . $225k . . .

Time to up the policy.

[911T1971]

Rick, the letter translated to french are sent to you by email.

I now think your car was maybe - as part of a contract - lent as proffessional tool to Porsche factory drivers like Siffert (and Rodriguez). They drove to "work" with them, to Stuttgart and to some races in Europe.

Siffert aquired it later on his name, in 1970, and imported it to Switzerland through the Basel border, as swiss custom paper show. He got another metallic green/int. beige 911S 2.4S Sporto prototyp w 71 chassis (Ex-Milou) for free from the factory, when he won the 70/71 W Championship.

[LongRanger]

Following-up on some comments regarding how to estimate a car's actual build-date --- that date stamps on some gauges + etc might give some clues . . . I finally got around to pulling out mine + checking their dates

WAY easier than I thought. I was kinda dreading this . . . expecting to be upside-down/on my back/under the dash --- turning/tweaking/cursing . . . maybe compromising some long-crispy + tenuous electrical connection? . . .

Nope. My imagination

Turns-out the gauges are all squish-fit into the dash stamping with --- are you ready for this? . . . rubber gaskets! I've had to work harder opening a soft-drink . . . well, almost. Some of the gauges felt like they hadn't been moved in a looooooooong time, so it took some semi-serious tickling to get 'em loose + out

Kinda fascinating, too --- looking inside, behind the dash . . . wondering when any of this stuff last saw day-light



1) 1st-up is the fuel + oil levels gauge --- far-left. Dusty/krusty . . . and you can see the rilled-rubber gasket that holds the thing in place

2) 1st date = '1.70.' No surprises, here --- just going by the production number, I'm already going w/ davep's estimate of a Feb-Mar '70 birthday

3) 2nd gauge = oil temp + press . . . 2nd date = '2.70'

4) Assembly 'left-overs'? There're more of these --- little scraps of ancient what-looks-like masking tape . . . stuck to wires + under the dash + some other places. Pencil writing looks 'funny' --- and this's definitely been in there awhile, so . . . I'll try not to disturb this too much + maybe get a better look at it, later