A little Porsche trivia
07-12-2014, 04:08 PM
#1
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A little Porsche trivia
Here is a test of your Porsche knowledge and no fair looking it up on the internet, as that makes it too easy. You either know or you don't. 
What is the significance of the wording in the photo? Extra credit if you can identify exactly what it's a picture of and it's significance.
Hint: The photo was taken 2 weeks ago at the Porsche Museum.
What is the significance of the wording in the photo? Extra credit if you can identify exactly what it's a picture of and it's significance.Hint: The photo was taken 2 weeks ago at the Porsche Museum.
07-12-2014, 05:16 PM
#3
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^^ 
I'd seen that wording before but I didn't know what it referred to either until about 6 months ago. I specifically looked for an example at the museum. While we're waiting for a reply to the first question, here's another one that I thought I knew the answer to but it turns out that, according to the museum guide, I didn't. What was the REAL reason why the ignition switch was initially located on the left side of the steering column in a Porsche?
Hint: It has nothing to do with LeMans.....
I'd seen that wording before but I didn't know what it referred to either until about 6 months ago. I specifically looked for an example at the museum. While we're waiting for a reply to the first question, here's another one that I thought I knew the answer to but it turns out that, according to the museum guide, I didn't. What was the REAL reason why the ignition switch was initially located on the left side of the steering column in a Porsche? Hint: It has nothing to do with LeMans.....
07-12-2014, 05:32 PM
#6
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07-12-2014, 06:10 PM
#9
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OK, Sam's waiting on the ignition question so let's get to that one first.
I'll preface this by saying that the guide who showed me around really seemed to know his stuff. You can usually tell when someone doesn't quite have the straight scoop on something you have some knowledge about but this guy hit every note right.
Anyway, first he asks if I know why Porsche started with the model number 911 which I did; because Puegeot held the rights to number 901. Then he asks me if I know why the ignition is on the left and, feeling all smug, I give the answer about LeMans and being able to grab the starter and gearshift simultaneously. Nope, he says. That was what Porsche marketing came up with after the fact and the real reason is much more mundane. The ignition circuit required less copper wiring with the switch on the left and therefore was cheaper to build!
I'll preface this by saying that the guide who showed me around really seemed to know his stuff. You can usually tell when someone doesn't quite have the straight scoop on something you have some knowledge about but this guy hit every note right.
Anyway, first he asks if I know why Porsche started with the model number 911 which I did; because Puegeot held the rights to number 901. Then he asks me if I know why the ignition is on the left and, feeling all smug, I give the answer about LeMans and being able to grab the starter and gearshift simultaneously. Nope, he says. That was what Porsche marketing came up with after the fact and the real reason is much more mundane. The ignition circuit required less copper wiring with the switch on the left and therefore was cheaper to build!
07-12-2014, 06:37 PM
#10
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All right. We've had a respectable number of views with no reply yet. Too bad because the prize was going to be really special. What, I didn't mention there was a prize?
Everyone has heard of Weissach, Porsche's facility northwest of Stuttgart. What's not as well known is that Weissach and Flacht are neighboring villages and the 100 acre Porsche complex is actually built on the border between them. The R&D buildings are on the Weissach side, but the Motorsport buildings are on the Flacht side.
Apparently there has always been a rather healthy "competition" between the two towns and residents are rather prideful about what comes from where. As a result, the Motorsport guys occasionally give a bit of a needle to the R&D guys by stenciling "Made in Flacht" on their creations. This particular "Made in Flacht" is on the left taillight of the 1998 LeMans winning GT1 driven by Aiello, McNish and Ortelli.
Maybe someone can win a bet with this info at their next Porsche gathering!
Everyone has heard of Weissach, Porsche's facility northwest of Stuttgart. What's not as well known is that Weissach and Flacht are neighboring villages and the 100 acre Porsche complex is actually built on the border between them. The R&D buildings are on the Weissach side, but the Motorsport buildings are on the Flacht side.
Apparently there has always been a rather healthy "competition" between the two towns and residents are rather prideful about what comes from where. As a result, the Motorsport guys occasionally give a bit of a needle to the R&D guys by stenciling "Made in Flacht" on their creations. This particular "Made in Flacht" is on the left taillight of the 1998 LeMans winning GT1 driven by Aiello, McNish and Ortelli.
Maybe someone can win a bet with this info at their next Porsche gathering!
07-12-2014, 06:45 PM
#11
All right. We've had a respectable number of views with no reply yet. Too bad because the prize was going to be really special. What, I didn't mention there was a prize? Everyone has heard of Weissach, Porsche's facility northwest of Stuttgart. What's not as well known is that Weissach and Flacht are neighboring villages and the 100 acre Porsche complex is actually built on the border between them. The R&D buildings are on the Weissach side, but the Motorsport buildings are on the Flacht side. Apparently there has always been a rather healthy "competition" between the two towns and residents are rather prideful about what comes from where. As a result, the Motorsport guys occasionally give a bit of a needle to the R&D guys by stenciling "Made in Flacht" on their creations. This particular "Made in Flacht" is on the left taillight of the 1998 LeMans winning GT1 driven by Aiello, McNish and Ortelli. Maybe someone can win a bet with this info at their next Porsche gathering!
07-12-2014, 07:23 PM
#14
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07-12-2014, 07:26 PM
#15
Great trivia Mike! Very interested by the key being on the left side. I didn't understand why it was on the left hand side with the copper? Is it because it's cheaper to have copper rather than aluminum or other metal in length?