|
A wayward
exchange student finds the end of the rainbow!
My Day at The Factory
By Glenn Hill
Yes, that's me...an enthusiastic 21-year old ready for a
day exploring the fabled halls of Zuffenhausen! |
I
waited anxiously in the driveway while my neighbor, Dr. Kirgis, backed the red
911 Cabriolet out of the garage. The muffled rumble of the air cooled flat-six
was familiar music to my ears, but today it brought on special meaning. I was
going to The Factory!
The year was 1988, and as a fortunate
young man of 21, I was living in Germany as a college exchange student.
To say that I had an amazing time while in Germany would be an
understatement. The beauty of the countryside and the friendship of the
German people helped create memories that will stay with me for a very
long time. A shining example of that friendship was retired dentist Dr.
Gunther Kirgis. He and his wife, Doris, lived next to the family I was
staying with. I discovered the 911 when walking by his open garage, and
it did not take long for me to find the owner.
Like myself, he was an
accomplished marksman, and I soon began accompanying him to the local shooting
club as his guest. I was also frequently invited for drives in the countryside
and coffee or dinner at their house.
However, just before I was to leave Germany, he asked me the question, “Glenn,
you haven’t been to the Porsche Factory, have you?” “Uhhhh…nein”, was my
reply. I could see it coming. “Would you like to go?” My response was
everything you’d expect of a 21 year-old who had just been given his dream shot. |
So, the big day arrived, and I was sitting in the right seat of the Cabrio reading the newspaper as we blasted down the Autobahn. Dr. Kirgis always
seemed to have bottle of Sprudel (lemon seltzer water) in the car when we
went for a drive. I took a few sips from the bottle as I scanned the paper. The
traffic was light that morning because most commuter traffic was headed the
other way. I paused from my reading and glanced over at the speedometer…we were
doing 160kph, which translates to 100 miles per hour. It didn’t even faze me.
After awhile, one becomes accustomed to the speed of the Autobahn. 160kpm
wasn’t even particularly fast. We had just done that a few days before in a
friend’s Toyota. It wasn’t nearly as much fun, though.
|
 |
Dr. and Frau Kirgis pose in the parking lot of
Werk-1 with their stunning 911 Cab
It's people like this that make Porsche motoring the experience of a
lifetime...
regardless of whether it's is Germany or Downeast Region |
We pull into the parking lot of Werk-1 after speaking briefly with
the security guard. Apparently we have an appointment of some sort. Frau
Kirgis is traveling with us, but followed along in the VW Golf. (Not losing any
time on the Autobahn, I might add!) Dr. Kirgis explains to me that we are
meeting a friend of his who will provide me with a “special tour”. I can only
imagine what that means. Anyway, while standing in the parking lot taking
pictures, Dr. Kirgis says to me, “look, Glenn, there’s the boss!” I turn,
expecting to see then-CEO Peter Schultz, but no…it’s not Herr
Schultz…it’s…it’s…HIM!! Yes, from out of a 928 S4 comes the familiar face of
Dr. Ferry Porsche! No fanfare, no ceremony…he was just another guy starting his
workday. I snapped a quick picture, walked up to him, and stuck my hand out. I
introduced myself as a geek, and said I hoped to work for his company someday. Ahhh, youth…a time of unrestrained optimism! Of course he was very polite. He
asked me where I was from, welcomed me to The Factory, and wished me a pleasant
visit. Now, while this was going on, I never once thought to ask Dr. Kirgis to
take a photo of me shaking hands with Dr. Porsche! I still loose sleep
over that one.
|
Dr. Ferry Porsche on his way to work. Just another day
at the office! |
I was still recovering from that little incident when Dr. Kirgis’
friend came out of the building to meet us. His name escapes me today, but he
was the director of the Service Department. I thought, “Oh my God, I’ve only
been here five minutes!” “What could possibly come next?” Well, plenty as you
can imagine. The Service Director took me through his department and showed me
what was going on. There was the usual mix of 911’s and 944’s up on lifts…with
an occasional 959 or Carrera 356 thrown in for good measure! He talked at
length about the work they do there, and he also asked a few questions to see
where I “stood” as a Porsche enthusiast. I apparently gave a decent accounting
of myself.
Next on the tour was the Restoration Shop! It was literally Heaven
on Earth. In one bay was a 356 Carrera-2 Cabriolet getting some paintwork
done. Pallets of Carrera four-cam engines lined the wall. (I’d never even seen
ONE before, and here were over a DOZEN!) In another corner was a disassembled
1950 356 Cabriolet. An early 911RS, normally very exciting, barely rated a
passing glance in such remarkable company. Again, Herr Direktor quizzed me.
|
Apparently, I passed because he patted me on the back, smiled, and said to Dr. Kirgis, “Ja, it looks like he does know something about Porsches!” I
thought I was going to pass out.
Here's something you don't see every day! Lineup of FOUR
Porsche 959's await new owners. Note the difference in suspension height.
The 959's suspension is adjustable by either the computer or the driver to
meet the needs of the moment! |
Walking out to the back lot, we just chatted about Porsches and commented
on one or two that we passed by. Then, at the end of the lot, Herr Direktor said, “Oh, you might want to take a picture…you probably won’t see
this again”, and there were four new Porsche 959’s all lined up! The 959
wondercar was still quite new in July of 1988, and these must’ve been some of
the last of the 250 examples that were ever made. I walked around them and
looked in the windows as if I were at the local dealership. Amazing. |
It was at this point that my new friend bid us farewell. He
directed Dr. Kirgis to take me to Werk-2 to begin the other tour. “Other tour?”
I thought. “What other tour?” Well, I was being taken on the regular tour of
The Factory that visitors get when they pick up their new car or just want to
see the operation. On this tour, we viewed the vehicle assembly line, the
engine building area, the paint shop, and also the engine testing facility,
where every Porsche engine earns the right to leave The Factory. I was very
impressed because at least a dozen engines were being run flat-out in soundproof
rooms while technicians monitored the dynamometer readings. I bet GM doesn’t do
that!
The 911 assembly line. Wow! Those are PEOPLE building
that car, not robots! A trip to The Factory makes you realize that there
really IS something special about Porsches! |
It was now early afternoon, and of course we were hungry. Dr. Kirgis informed me that we’d be having lunch up in the restaurant.
“Restaurant?” “Yes, they have a restaurant, and if you pick up your new car
here in Zuffenhausen you are treated to dinner, and the Service Director has
told me to take you up there when we were done!” I just shook my head in
disbelief.
I had a wonderful lunch of broiled haddock (rare in the Black
Forest…no ocean!) while overlooking the goings-on among the factory buildings.
My head was swimming from all the amazing things I had seen, but were we done
for the day? Nope! The trip through the Porsche Museum was still yet to
come! This was simply the frosting on the cake. Of course it was fantastic,
and I saw virtually every landmark Porsche in existence, from Porsche 356/01, to
Mark Donohue’s 917/30 and everything in between.
|
A few years after leaving Germany, a friend informed me that Dr.
Kirgis had passed away from a heart attack. I’d love to call him up today and
just say hi, but of course I can’t. So…if you ever happen to glance inside my
356, don’t be too surprised to see a bottle of Sprudel nestled between
the seats. It’s my way of saying “thanks, Dr. Kirgis, for a wonderful day at
"The Factory”.
Glenn
Top of Page
Back
to Porscheforme articles |
