A visit to Zuffenhausen...
#21
05-11-2013, 07:25 PM
Porsche Factory Uniforms
Just a quick comment on the change of uniforms at Porsche. This has been implemented in the past few years and the color is a now a 'dark grey'! (see first three photos attached). The supervisors & more specialized workers wear a coat, similar to those used by doctors in hospitals, but in a dark grey color too! (photo #4).
From my first visit in 1981 to my last (2007) before this one, the factory worker uniforms were a rich Cobalt blue! It was quite attractive! Supervisors and other specialized factory personnel often sported a different color 'top coat' (e.g. green) to signal their field of expertise (e.g. Quality Control).
Other auto factories in Europe are using much more exciting colors on their worker's uniforms than Porsche does now! BMW has several shades of 'blue' on their coats (photo #5) , Ferrari is mostly 'red' overalls (photo #6), Audi (not pictured) has a mostly white uniform with red & grey trim! All quite attractive - compared to the dull 'grey' of Porsche!
I own three factory uniforms from Porsche's past (last photos). Two 'Blues' and one 'Red'. I found one of my 'Blue' at a recent memorabilia meet. The other 'Blue' I liberated on a personal visit to the factory in 1996! Don't ask me how - it's a state secret! The 'Red' Porsche factory uniform is really old. It probably dates back to the late fifties or early sixties. On the 'blue' uniforms, the Porsche logo is found in a pre-made 'label' which is then sewn on the front of the uniform! But on the 'Red' uniform, the logo is beautifully embroidered in thick yellow thread! I purchased this example from a ex-factory worker that had kept this uniform for over 40 years since he left the company! All three garments are made in Germany by a uniform company called 'W. Golz', as best as I can make that name out.
Saludos,
Eduardo
Vail Valley, Colorado
From my first visit in 1981 to my last (2007) before this one, the factory worker uniforms were a rich Cobalt blue! It was quite attractive! Supervisors and other specialized factory personnel often sported a different color 'top coat' (e.g. green) to signal their field of expertise (e.g. Quality Control).
Other auto factories in Europe are using much more exciting colors on their worker's uniforms than Porsche does now! BMW has several shades of 'blue' on their coats (photo #5) , Ferrari is mostly 'red' overalls (photo #6), Audi (not pictured) has a mostly white uniform with red & grey trim! All quite attractive - compared to the dull 'grey' of Porsche!
I own three factory uniforms from Porsche's past (last photos). Two 'Blues' and one 'Red'. I found one of my 'Blue' at a recent memorabilia meet. The other 'Blue' I liberated on a personal visit to the factory in 1996! Don't ask me how - it's a state secret! The 'Red' Porsche factory uniform is really old. It probably dates back to the late fifties or early sixties. On the 'blue' uniforms, the Porsche logo is found in a pre-made 'label' which is then sewn on the front of the uniform! But on the 'Red' uniform, the logo is beautifully embroidered in thick yellow thread! I purchased this example from a ex-factory worker that had kept this uniform for over 40 years since he left the company! All three garments are made in Germany by a uniform company called 'W. Golz', as best as I can make that name out.
Saludos,
Eduardo
Vail Valley, Colorado
#23
05-12-2013, 02:12 PM
Porsche expansion in Zuffenhausen!
The one thing you notice on every new trip to Zuffenhausen is how much Porsche is expanding its facilities in this suburb of Stuttgart! I have already talked about the paint facility across from Werk II, which seats behind Werk I (see photo #1) which has been there for a while. There are now new buildings on 'Strohgäustraße' which are connected to Werk II via a walking bridge over that street. That is now called Werk III (see photo 2, 3 & 4). Porsche now controls many other buildings around Werk I & II that, when I first visited in 1981, used to belong to various vendors, subcontractors and independent businesses! It is also believed that Porsche recently acquired a large facility formerly owned by ITT on the other side of the S6 railroad tracks, way in back of the new Porsche Museum! Apparently, future expansion for Porsche in Zuffenhausen will come from this area across the 'Neuwirtshaus / Porscheplatz' railroad station! This western part of Zuffenhausen is particularly desirable because of the easy access to Route 10 and the Autobahn located just a few minutes away (E41/81). That all has vital importance in a production environment that relies heavily in 'just in time' and 'just in sequence' arrivals of key components from its vendors! The most frequently used word in the German auto industry today is 'Logistics'!
This expansion in Zuffenhausen is proceeding at an enormous rate, regardless of the fact that: all 981 Cayman & a good % of Boxsters are being assembled at the VW's Karmann plant in Osnabrück; Panamera & Cayenne are built in Leipzig, Marketing is done in Ludwigsburg; Research is done at Weissach (whose buildings are also growing leaps & bound) and quite a bit of testing is done at the recently acquired Nardo Technical Centre in Italy! From what you can see on the surface, business seems to be going very well for Porsche in Germany at this moment!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Colorado
This expansion in Zuffenhausen is proceeding at an enormous rate, regardless of the fact that: all 981 Cayman & a good % of Boxsters are being assembled at the VW's Karmann plant in Osnabrück; Panamera & Cayenne are built in Leipzig, Marketing is done in Ludwigsburg; Research is done at Weissach (whose buildings are also growing leaps & bound) and quite a bit of testing is done at the recently acquired Nardo Technical Centre in Italy! From what you can see on the surface, business seems to be going very well for Porsche in Germany at this moment!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Colorado
Last edited by z356; 05-12-2013 at 02:17 PM.
#25
05-13-2013, 04:10 PM
A night out in Stuttgart!
On Wednesday evening, April 17th, a friend that works at Porsche picked me up at my Hotel Neuwirtshaus on his 'brand new' 991 coupe! He had just taken delivery a few days before under the special pricing giving to Porsche employees. He is a designer whose current task involves the interior of the 918 Spyder! By the way, he selected a manual transmission for his 991, not PDK! He took me to the Stuttgart apartment of Dieter Landenberger, Manager Historical Archives at Porsche, which is located in the architectural significant neighborhood known as the Weissenhof Settlement! (see photo #1). We had a delightful bottle of Riesling wine from Dieter's family vineyard in the Mosel region on the Rhine and then we boarded Dieter's Cayenne for a tour of historical landmarks related to Porsche in Stuttgart!
Our first stop was number 48 on the Feuerbacher Weg, the Porsche Family Villa (photo 2). This is the place where Ferdinand, Ferry and their associates put together the first prototypes of the Beetle in 1936! (photos 3 & 4). This villa is located in the most desirable hilltop location in Stuttgart since medieval times - with striking views of the city all around the elegant homes in this neighborhood! (photo 5). It believe this villa is still the home of Dr. Wolfgang Porsche when he is in town. It was also the Stuttgart home of Ferry & Dorothea Porsche while they were alive!
flat4 - Volkswagen Prototypen 1937
We then paid a visit to Stamhaus Augustenstrasse 82A, near the city center of Stuttgart. This was the Reutter shop where the first steel body 356 prototypes were assembled in 1950 after Porsche decided to return to Stuttgart from the Carinthian provincial town of Gmund in Austria (photos 6 & 7). Dieter & other historians at Porsche have now documented that these first steel body 356's were NOT assembled at the larger Reutter factory in Zuffenhausen (as was first thought), but instead at this location near city center in Stuttgart! After the few prototypes were built, the series production was transferred to a space within the Zuffenhausen facility owned then by Reutter (whose real name was 'Stuttgarter Karosserie Reutter & Co, GmbH)!
http://translate.google.com/translat...40%26bih%3D691
Finally, Dieter took us to the design office (on the second floor of the building pictured) where Dr. Ferdinand Porsche established in the early 1930's his first office as an 'independent' auto engineer consultant! (photo 8 & 9). This building is very close to city center Stuttgart and survived the war without major damage! From Wikipedia: "During the 1930s, Stuttgart had already established itself as a center for the automobile industry. Germany's most important car companies had settled in the region by then. It was thus an ideal location for the new Porsche design company. When Porsche senior opened his offices in April 1931, his son Ferry was by his side. The firm was called "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH Konstructionsbüro für Motoren, Fahrzeuge, Luftfahrzeuge und Wasserfahrzeugbau", meaning that Ferdinand Porsche's firm specialized in construction and consultation for engines, automobiles, airplanes, and motorboats. Porsche GmbH was founded in 1931 by Adolf Rosenberger, Ferdinand Porsche and Dr. Anton Piëch. While Rosenberger was the financial backer, he also brought technical knowledge and racing skill to the equation. Father and son were accompanied by renowned engineers."
After this magnificent historical tour in the early evening hours of the night, my two German hosts took me to a good restaurant/brewery in Stuttgart where we had a wonderful dinner & enjoyed the local brew! Although both of them work for Porsche, this was strictly a social evening in which they gave up valuable private time to show me around their city! I am eternally grateful for their friendship and for the marvelous tour they made possible for me of these significant Porsche historical sites! I intend to reciprocate in kind when they visit next Carmel!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Vail Valley, CO
Our first stop was number 48 on the Feuerbacher Weg, the Porsche Family Villa (photo 2). This is the place where Ferdinand, Ferry and their associates put together the first prototypes of the Beetle in 1936! (photos 3 & 4). This villa is located in the most desirable hilltop location in Stuttgart since medieval times - with striking views of the city all around the elegant homes in this neighborhood! (photo 5). It believe this villa is still the home of Dr. Wolfgang Porsche when he is in town. It was also the Stuttgart home of Ferry & Dorothea Porsche while they were alive!
flat4 - Volkswagen Prototypen 1937
We then paid a visit to Stamhaus Augustenstrasse 82A, near the city center of Stuttgart. This was the Reutter shop where the first steel body 356 prototypes were assembled in 1950 after Porsche decided to return to Stuttgart from the Carinthian provincial town of Gmund in Austria (photos 6 & 7). Dieter & other historians at Porsche have now documented that these first steel body 356's were NOT assembled at the larger Reutter factory in Zuffenhausen (as was first thought), but instead at this location near city center in Stuttgart! After the few prototypes were built, the series production was transferred to a space within the Zuffenhausen facility owned then by Reutter (whose real name was 'Stuttgarter Karosserie Reutter & Co, GmbH)!
http://translate.google.com/translat...40%26bih%3D691
Finally, Dieter took us to the design office (on the second floor of the building pictured) where Dr. Ferdinand Porsche established in the early 1930's his first office as an 'independent' auto engineer consultant! (photo 8 & 9). This building is very close to city center Stuttgart and survived the war without major damage! From Wikipedia: "During the 1930s, Stuttgart had already established itself as a center for the automobile industry. Germany's most important car companies had settled in the region by then. It was thus an ideal location for the new Porsche design company. When Porsche senior opened his offices in April 1931, his son Ferry was by his side. The firm was called "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH Konstructionsbüro für Motoren, Fahrzeuge, Luftfahrzeuge und Wasserfahrzeugbau", meaning that Ferdinand Porsche's firm specialized in construction and consultation for engines, automobiles, airplanes, and motorboats. Porsche GmbH was founded in 1931 by Adolf Rosenberger, Ferdinand Porsche and Dr. Anton Piëch. While Rosenberger was the financial backer, he also brought technical knowledge and racing skill to the equation. Father and son were accompanied by renowned engineers."
After this magnificent historical tour in the early evening hours of the night, my two German hosts took me to a good restaurant/brewery in Stuttgart where we had a wonderful dinner & enjoyed the local brew! Although both of them work for Porsche, this was strictly a social evening in which they gave up valuable private time to show me around their city! I am eternally grateful for their friendship and for the marvelous tour they made possible for me of these significant Porsche historical sites! I intend to reciprocate in kind when they visit next Carmel!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Vail Valley, CO
#26
05-14-2013, 03:37 PM
In addition to the places I reported yesterday that Dieter Landenberger (Manager Historical Archives at Porsche) took me & another Porsche employee on Wednesday night (April 17th), I must also mention a special visit we made to the Stuttgart headquarters of the famous 'Württembergischer Automobilclub e.V.' Founded by Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and Robert Bosch in 1898/1899, it is the oldest automotive club in the world! Dieter is on the board of directors and was able to give us a quick tour of the place!
Württembergischer Automobilclub e.V. gegründet 1899
Their website gives us this history of the club, which has been translated from the original German:
"The Württemberg Automobile Club was founded by car pioneer, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, and Robert Bosch in 1898. King William II took over the protectorate. The club was allowed to call themselves "Royal". This privilege was extinguished in 1918 when the Republic was proclaimed in Germany. Nevertheless, the tradition lives on. The WAC is committed to the home Württemberg closely connected. Between 1933 and 1945 extinguished the activities of the club. All attempts failed to continue the club under a different name.
The tradition remained alive on the duklen years. Soon after the second World War I was called back an independent Wurttembergischer automobile club to life. On 17 November 1951 took place in the small Kursaal in Bad Cannstatt the founding meeting of Württemberg Automobile Club eV instead. In June 1952, the new club rooms could be occupied in Queen Olga building on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. In subsequent years, the clubhouse was built in the Mörikestraße 30, which in an air raid on 7 October 1943 had been completely destroyed. On 3 October 1956 was the grand opening of the new clubhouse in the presence of representatives of the Provincial Government and the then AVD-President, Prince of Hohenlohe Langenburg, instead.
Still exist with the global companies Daimler, Robert Bosch, Porsche has many years of accumulated good relations. Senior employees of these companies are permanent members of the Presidium of the WAC. We are particularly proud to have been the oldest automobile club in the world and the only one of Gottlieb Daimler, the inventor of the automobile personally co-founded."
It must be a great honor for someone like Dieter to be associated with an automobil club with the depth of history as 'Württembergischer'! And I can only imagine the list of current club members from the ranks of Porsche, Mercedes, Robert Bosch, Behr, Mahle, Dürr and the many other vendors/sub-contractors to the automobile industry which has made this city world renown! Plus the hundreds of other regular members of the club, auto enthusiasts like us, that are able to enjoy driving the automobiles produced in their own region of Germany! Very special club indeed!
Overall, this evening was most pleasant & informative. And I must again thank my hosts for making it all possible!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Colorado
Württembergischer Automobilclub e.V. gegründet 1899
Their website gives us this history of the club, which has been translated from the original German:
"The Württemberg Automobile Club was founded by car pioneer, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, and Robert Bosch in 1898. King William II took over the protectorate. The club was allowed to call themselves "Royal". This privilege was extinguished in 1918 when the Republic was proclaimed in Germany. Nevertheless, the tradition lives on. The WAC is committed to the home Württemberg closely connected. Between 1933 and 1945 extinguished the activities of the club. All attempts failed to continue the club under a different name.
The tradition remained alive on the duklen years. Soon after the second World War I was called back an independent Wurttembergischer automobile club to life. On 17 November 1951 took place in the small Kursaal in Bad Cannstatt the founding meeting of Württemberg Automobile Club eV instead. In June 1952, the new club rooms could be occupied in Queen Olga building on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. In subsequent years, the clubhouse was built in the Mörikestraße 30, which in an air raid on 7 October 1943 had been completely destroyed. On 3 October 1956 was the grand opening of the new clubhouse in the presence of representatives of the Provincial Government and the then AVD-President, Prince of Hohenlohe Langenburg, instead.
Still exist with the global companies Daimler, Robert Bosch, Porsche has many years of accumulated good relations. Senior employees of these companies are permanent members of the Presidium of the WAC. We are particularly proud to have been the oldest automobile club in the world and the only one of Gottlieb Daimler, the inventor of the automobile personally co-founded."
It must be a great honor for someone like Dieter to be associated with an automobil club with the depth of history as 'Württembergischer'! And I can only imagine the list of current club members from the ranks of Porsche, Mercedes, Robert Bosch, Behr, Mahle, Dürr and the many other vendors/sub-contractors to the automobile industry which has made this city world renown! Plus the hundreds of other regular members of the club, auto enthusiasts like us, that are able to enjoy driving the automobiles produced in their own region of Germany! Very special club indeed!
Overall, this evening was most pleasant & informative. And I must again thank my hosts for making it all possible!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Colorado
Last edited by z356; 05-14-2013 at 03:46 PM.
#28
05-18-2013, 11:13 AM
You basically did what I did back in 2007 with a few notable exceptions. Any plans to visit the Nurburgring? You should if possible at least visit the Auto Technik Museum in Sinsheim. That was was probably the most interesting museum I've ever visited.
#29
05-18-2013, 11:41 AM
I'll get a few more lines on the Audi visits to Neckarsulm & Ingolstadt as soon as I have more time!
And he has two museums now! Yes, second time to Sinsheim! First was in 2007! I'll post more photos as soon as I can.
Saludos,
Eduardo
ps Didn't do Nurburgring this year!
Saludos,
Eduardo
ps Didn't do Nurburgring this year!
Last edited by z356; 05-18-2013 at 11:43 AM.
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