An unprecedented success story began 70 years ago on May 26, 1950. At that time, a new car owner picked up his car from the Porsche Zuffenhausen factory for the first time. Today, when consumers buy a new car, some still choose to pick up the car as close to the brand’s roots as possible. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary, the first Taycan owner also chose to pick up the car at the factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where the brand originated.
Ottomar Domnick with his Silverfish-colored Porsche 356
The history of picking up cars from the factory started from outside the No. 1 factory building. Here, on May 26, 1950, Ottomar Domnick drove his beloved sports car for the first time: a Porsche 356 in Silverfish-coloured, order number 5001. To be the first client in Germany at the time was a dream come true for the specialist in neurology and psychiatry. Ottomar Domnick was 43 years old when he picked up the car. Coincidentally, the day Florian Böhme got the Taycan on February 21 this year was also his 43rd birthday.
Ottomar Domnick with his Silverfish-colored Porsche 356
Time goes back to that day 70 years ago. Before the delivery ceremony, Ottomar Domnick sat in the passenger seat of the Porsche 356, and Herbert Linge was in charge of the steering wheel. The latter invited him to participate in the final test drive before delivery. Herbert Linge began training at Porsche KG in April 1943 and was one of the first mechanics hired by Porsche upon its return to Germany from Gmünd, Austria, at the end of 1949. “I was 14 when I started working in Porsche’s first training workshop. At the time, we had six mechanics and two technicians. Ferdinand Porsche used to walk through our workshop with important guests. He Always here to make the guests wait a while and come out of the way to say hello to us. This is something we will never forget,” says Herbert Linge, who remembers every factory pick-up vividly, “When Ottomar Domnick got his Porsche 356, it was like a holiday. But he would come to the factory every day to have a look at the progress of our car. Even on the day he picked up the car, Ferry Porsche came to the scene.”
Ottomar Domnick with his Silverfish-colored Porsche 356
Even today, factory pick-up at Porsche headquarters is a very special experience for customers. “The most exciting part of a first encounter with a car is that the customer has never actually seen the car before,” explains Tobias Donnevert, Head of Personalization for Factory Pickup and Sales. Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, an exclusive customization service, customized and selected the car he chose, but he only saw the color combination from photos or swatches. So when he picked up the car, it was the first time he saw his new Porsche car .It’s a beautiful moment that customers can only experience when they take delivery of the car.”
Porsche 356 with order number 5001
At the factory in Zuffenhausen, Tobias Donnevert and his team see about 20 customers a day who come to pick up their new cars. In 2019, around 2,500 customers picked up their cars here, compared with almost 3,000 at the Leipzig plant. Before picking up the car, customers are also invited to a factory tour to learn how a Porsche 911 is produced at the Zuffenhausen plant. In addition, the Porsche Museum is also included in the itinerary. At Porsche’s Leipzig plant, customers can not only learn about the production status of Macan and Panamera models, but also complete a test drive experience on the factory’s FIA-certified track.
On May 26, 1950, the first Porsche 356 sports car was delivered to customer Ottomar Domnick
The Domnick Foundation, which manages Domnick’s estate, still maintains the original order number 5001 on which Ottomar Domnick bought the car. Since Porsche had no corresponding sales channels in Germany at the time, the order was handled by Volkswagen dealer Hahn. “Volkswagen” on the order form was crossed out with a pen and replaced with “Porsche-Sport”. Today, Ottomar Domnick’s Porsche 356 not only marks the starting point for Porsche in Germany, but is also regarded as the beginning of individual customer factory delivery at the Zuffenhausen factory.
