pewter82

I was told a few years back ,that the later 93-95 928 GTS's were not hand built as the early cars were. which leads me to the question about my 993. Since it is a 96 model, was Porsche still hand building cars in that year?

Augustus Davies

I read somewhere that the 993 is the last of the hand built cars..

2Many Cars

It depends upon your definition of hand built. As I understand it the 993 panels were all stamped but the fit and assembly was by hand. That's as opposed to for example Aston Martins which until recently had panels made one by one on wooden bucks and matched to each individual car - which in my book is truly hand made. I think Rolls still builds cars that way.

mikey_audiogeek

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."
- Carl Sagan

ljugete

I thought that the 964 was the last of the hand made 911 series (also the most expensive to build).

Didn't they started the mass production lines with the 993 (last of the air cooled 911 series) or was it the 996 (after Toyota gave them some pointers)?

Bruce SEA 993

Hey All,

I have an Autoweek article from 1994 about the saving of Porsche. It is about how the cars went from hand built and then reworked because of poor quality incoming component and part QC to hand built with little rework with the 993. The hours per car went way down.

The 996 ushered in the designed to be assembled fast era.

Porsche hired the Toyota quality ninjas...

PM me and I will send the PDF along. I thought I sent it to Mike at pcarwrokshop but maybe not.

Cheers!

Kein_Ersatz

I'd say more like hand assembled (excluding windshield placement, painting, sub frame welding, and such), but not hand built. I think the current line in Stuttgart and Leipzig are very similar to what went on with the 993 chassis. Was a recent NatGeo show on the factory in Stuttgart.

ilko

If you want to see how Porsche built the cars by hand, download the "Porsche Factory 1960" clip here: http://public.me.com/ilko

ZombiePorsche44

I was under the impression that the 993's 3.6L was hand built herego the $24,000.00 cost for a 993 crate engine from Porsche and the 1999 and up 996's crate engine costing approx. $9500.00 due to mostly being machine assembled....................ZP44

Edward

I recall reading the same comments as Frandk and Bruce mention above.

Really, the point is academic: you don't truly want "handbuilt" if it means inconsistency. Like trying to fit a body panel from one car (say, for accident repair) and it needs add'l hours of reworking just to make it right?!! That brand of "handbuilt" is, thankfully, replaced by machines that are exacting and tireless.

The reference to handbuilt engines (and like critical components), on the other hand, is a good one since machines cannot make certain decisions like skilled humans can.

But the bottom line is the bottom line. If she can't be built economically and be sturdy, there is precious little point to "handbuilt" or "robotic." When customers lose faith, the build method is moot. Which is why Porsche really had to get that whole early-996 engine debacle sorted out fast (and from what I understood, at least they stepped up to the plate and covered owners who plunked down their 60+ large). It was no secret, (to enthusiasts anyway), that the aircooled engine was a freaking monument to longevity ...then this new grenading engine?!! Clearly the mothership got their sales when they made a cost/build-effective model, but they took it in the shorts when it wasn't so, um, "effective" if you have to replace an entire engine! So does anyone really care how their car was built when your brand new high-tilt wondercar is in the shop for a heart transplant?

As Porsche (and everyone else, to be sure) goes toward further mechanation, the quest always will be to make the final result worth having over the long haul. Witness Honda and Toyota, the running joke of the 70s, carve out a loyal (and global) segment of the industry over the decades. And not because of their mechanical process, but because their mechanical process yielded a machine that left owners with a thing of value over time. This is where the venerable 911 heritage shines, clearly, and without debate as witnessed by the numerous iterations not only still running around but with near-rabid loyalty with cars exchanging hands usually for other variants. Loyalty. And the bottom line.
...BTW, can you tell I've got time this morning

Edward

goofballdeluxe

Well said, Edward.

One thing I might add is that there is no longer an environment present where automakers build things to last. The crucial thing to automakers is that the cars last....until the warranty period expires.

ReinerFink

I was lucky enough to go on a factory tour in Stuttgart in '94. The 993's were lined up being "put together by hand" -- meaning that at one spot, the guys fitted the proper calipers to wheel carriers, put the struts on and stuck it to the frame.

We didn't see any engine assembly, but I remember that they were built by a single mechanic, then dynoed and if they didn't meet spec, they were torn down and rebuilt. If they failed again, the were given to one of the senior mechanics and he would see wtf was wrong. hehe.

My wife took detailed notes (she is just that sort of person with a travel diary for each holiday). I'll see if I can dig up her notes and post them. I remember our tour guide said "Are you planning to open your own car factory in America?" on how she kept writing everything down...

My favorite memory was of one employee taking a swig of beer after doing some part of his job.

-reiner

matt777

I wonder if those old guys who did the final 993 body panel finishing with a small hammer are still around?

Edward

Hey GBD,

You are, sadly, so correct on this point. What a bummer of a comment as it speaks so much of where we are in manufacturing today. But when one finds the rare business model where quality still is king, and the customer deserves the best, I stick with that company. I am tired of "disposable" wares and am willing to pay more (within reason, of course) if what I get really is of lasting quality. Precious few companies "get it" but those who do I will reward with my hard-earned buck.

Edward

red89

I guess it's all relative.


I've heard Ferraris are hand built.
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