986 Classic Status

[TeamOxford]

From the Porsche factory website:

"Generally, Porsche Classic looks after vehicles whose standard production was discontinued at least 10 years previously. In other words, the 356, 914, 959 and 911 up to and including Types 964 and 993, as well as all four and eight-cylinder Porsche road vehicles such as the 924, 928, 944 and 968. Additionally there are two newcomers in the Porsche Classic range: the Porsche Boxster, Type 986 and the Porsche 911, Type 996. You will find a more detailed list of the models looked after here.

Porsche Classic is constantly endeavouring to close any gaps in the spare parts range. Altogether, around 52,000 Classic Parts are currently available and the inventory is continuously monitored and updated. Relaunches of parts especially, place exceptional demands on the Classic staff.

"The market demand must first be determined, historical documents in the Porsche Development Archive must be reviewed and the availability and condition of original tools must be checked. A new supplier must often be found or a new tool manufactured. These steps are not only costly themselves, they also involve thorough and expensive technical checks. This is because Porsche Classic Genuine Parts are of course subject to the same quality standards as current Porsche Genuine Parts. All parts relevant to safety are comprehensively tested at the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach. During production, increased statutory requirements must be observed, e.g. bans on specific materials when manufacturing spare parts (key term “restriction on hazardous substances”).

The close relationship that Porsche Classic maintains with its suppliers is often the only reason that a Classic Genuine Part can be produced or relaunched. This is due to the fact that many suppliers incur above-average expenses (e.g. due to storage, maintenance and operation of old, large and complex tools) for low production quantities resulting from the relatively small number of classic Porsche vehicles compared to large automobile manufacturers."

TO