Porsche Compensates Directly and Joins German Industry's Foundation Initiative

Porsche AG will allow itself to be guided by the offer made by Volkswagen AG, since the design office was largely commissioned by VW during the Second World War. It will then compensate all persons without delay who can offer plausible evidence of forced labor (also Mr. Kobierski) with the sum of DM 10,000 respectively. Four other former foreign workers at the design office, as well as Mr. Kobierski, have so far applied to Porsche or to the Regional Court in Stuttgart and claimed financial compensation for their forced labor.

The Executive Board of Porsche AG has also decided that as well as joining German industry's endowment initiative, it will also contribute to the Fund set up for the financial compensation of forced laborers in German industry. With this decision, Porsche hopes to assist in setting up the Fund speedily.

The fact that Porsche had to reject beforehand the offer of a settlement made by the presiding judge in the hearing on 13th October, was solely politically motivated. If Porsche AG had accepted a settlement of DM 15,000 in favor of Mr. Kobierski, this would have prejudiced German industry in the ongoing talks with the former forced laborers' lawyers. Consequently, they would have influenced in an unjustifiable manner the prospects of agreement regarding the sums of money to be made available to the fund. Porsche's hands were tied at this stage. The Stuttgart car company has informed the public comprehensively at all times during the last few weeks and months about these constraints.

Above all, in order to comply with its moral obligations, a ruling was needed in line with Porsche's own legal interpretation, to give the company scope to take action in the interests of the individual and also its own interests. This had to be separate from the talks between the Federal Government, German industry and the lawyers on the other side, who were seeking a solution, in the first instance, to the more general problem of industrial forced labor.

In Porsche's view only a few individuals were forced to work at the design office during the Second World War. Porsche AG does not possess any comprehensive records of this, since bombs and fire during the War destroyed most of the documents. Following recent internal and external inquires, there is only fragmentary information available to prove that foreign nationals - without more exact classification - were also working then for the company.

During the Second World War, there were altogether about 50 to 100 workers at the design office, their work being commissioned by clients or third parties. It is the opinion not only of Porsche AG today but also of independent experts, that there can have been no demand for the industrial-scale deployment of forced laborers in an office of that size.

Porsche Announces Le Mans 2000 Decision

Porsche Claims Manufacturer Titles, Driver Crown in American Le Mans Series Season Finale

With the Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3R entry of Dirk Müller and Cort Wagner recording the GT class victory, Porsche secured the GT class manufacturer's crown, edging rival BMW by 21 points. By virtue of the win, Wagner also clinched the GT class driver's championship.

In addition to collecting first-place hardware in the GT, Porsche swiped top honors in the GTS class, based off of a fourth-place class finish by the Roock Motorsport North American driver duo of Claudia Hurtgen and Andre Aarle in a Porsche 911 Turbo.

As they have in recent races, however, the Müller-Wagner team stole the Porsche spotlight in the two-hour, 45-minute event, leading from start to finish. It was the third victory in five outings for the new Porsche 911 GT3R, since the race car made its way to American soil in July.

"I can't tell you how great this car was today," said an ecstatic Wagner among a group of well-wishers in victory lane. "It ran just like it always has - flawlessly. I can't thank Porsche enough for allowing us the opportunity to run this car over here. Also, I have to say how much I enjoyed having Dirk Müller as a teammate this year. He is as talented a driver as they come. And, what more can you say about the Alex Job Racing Team, who handled the car for Manthey Racing. They're a great group and deserve a lot of credit."

Almost lost within the championship story line was a solid third-place, podium GT class finish by Contemporary Motorsports Team of Mike Conte and Randy Pobst, who had to claw over two BMW M3s in the latter stage of the race.

The overall winner was a BMW V12LMR driven by J.J. Lehto and Steve Soper. The margin of victory was a scant 0.2 seconds with 129 laps being recorded.

Porsche Sweeps GT Class at Laguna Seca

The # 02 Reiser Callas Rennsport entry parleyed a strong second place starting position into a class win by employing both speed and stealth.

"We just kept on plugging away," said David Murry. " We knew we'd be in contention because this track really suits the older 911 RSR."

Murry went on to add that the new 911 GT3R had a rules-imposed handicap that at this track, played into their hands.

"The rules stipulate that the new cars have to run narrower tires, and no ABS (anti-lock brake systems.) Plus the nature of the Laguna Seca track and its appetite for tires, negates some of the new cars built in advantages - more down force, more horsepower, better over the bumps. There is only one significant bump on the whole track!"

Behind the wheel for the first stint, co-driver Johnny Mowlem stalked the lead 911 GT3R of Dirk Muller and Cort Wagner for several laps before he made his move.

"I knew it was only a matter of time," said the veteran European Porsche Cup competitor. "I watched my tires. I knew Dirk would eventually come back to me. Then I turned it over to David and he finished them off."

Run under a cloudless sky, and in 80 + degree temperatures, the track condition further helped the venerable 911 RSR. "The heat today really played into our hands," added Mowlem. The track temperatures were reported as high as 128 degrees Fahrenheit.

Despite its second place finish, the Alex Job Racing - backed 911 GT3R entered by Manthey Racing kept the American Wagner in the Professional Sports Car Racing GT class driver's points lead, as the all of his main competitors either dropped back or dropped out. In addition, the Porsche 1-2-3 finish further widens Porsche's lead over archrival BMW.

Third, was the second Alex Job Racing 911, this one the # 22 Porsche 911 RSR, of Darryl Havens and Mike Fitzgerald. "The team did an absolutely incredible job this weekend," said Havens. "They're sick with colds, but they worked hard and the results really speak for themselves."

Also full of praise for their team were Murry and Mowlem. "This is a fairly new team. We came together earlier this year and now we're winners," said Murry. "I want to thank Joel Reiser for bringing all of the right people together." "They gave us a great car today," added Mowlem. Another finish of note was the third place finish in the GTS class by the #56 Porsche 911 Turbo of Martin Snow and Kelly Collins. The Martin Snow Racing - entry drove a steady race, picking up the final podium position as first the # 91 Viper and then their other Porsche competition fell by the wayside.

The Laguna Seca round of the American Le Mans Series was the seventh and penultimate race of this year's schedule. The next race has been moved from its' original San Diego location, to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on November 7th.

TOP OVERALL/PROTOTYPE CLASS FINISHERS AT LAGUNA SECA
1) BMW V12 LMR - J.J. Letho/Steve Soper-121 laps
2) Panoz LMP-1 Roadster - Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen - 121 laps
3) BMW V12 LMR - Bill Auberlen/Jo Winkelhock - 121 laps

TOP FINISHERS IN GTS CLASS
1) Dodge Viper GTS-R - Olivier Baretta/Karl Wendlinger - 110 laps
2) Chevrolet Corvette C5-R - Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel - 109 laps
3) Porsche 911 Turbo - Martin Snow/Kelly Collins - 108 laps

Porsche to Build Plant in Germany for Production of SUV

"As a manufacturer of exclusive, premium sportscars, we will continue to rely on the high quality work implied by the term Made in Germany. Throughout the world, all Porsche products are clearly associated with Germany as their country of origin. For us, this is a most significant factor, which enhances the acceptance of our product and boosts our brand image," said Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, Chairman of the Porsche AG Board of Management. "This decision ensures the new SUV will be a genuine, authentic Porsche."

To be located in Leipzig (in the former East Germany), the new plant will be part of a production network comprising the main Porsche factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen (Germany) and VW plants in Bratislava (Slovakia), Braunschweig (Germany) and Hannover/Wolfsburg (Germany). Sheet metal pressings for the new sport utility vehicle will come from Hanover or Wolfsburg, axle and suspension components from Braunschweig, and the body shell will be built in Bratislava. Many of the other components for the Porsche SUV will be manufactured by suppliers in Germany.

The heart of the SUV, its engine, will be produced in Zuffenhausen, where engines are currently produced for all other Porsche models.

The production network concept involving the Leipzig and Zuffenhausen facilities and various VW plants also offers Porsche the opportunity to produce its new sport utility vehicle within an optimum cost framework and on competitive terms in the international market. In addition, the new plant will allow Porsche a high level of craftsmanship and the ability to tailor vehicles to customer needs.

The geographic location of Leipzig (in the German Federal State of Saxony) offers Porsche easy access to the seaports of Emdem and Bremerhaven, an important factor given that two thirds of SUV production will be exported, much of it to the North American market. In addition, Leipzig is centrally located among the other plants to which its production in linked.

Construction of the new Porsche Leipzig factory is scheduled to begin in the autumn of this year, with the first vehicles due to leave the assembly line by the end of 2001. The Stuttgart based company will invest some 100 million German Marks in the facility that will employ 260 workers. Output for the new plant will be at least 20,000 units.

Porsche announced in July that in addition to its current Boxster and 911 model lines it was planning to manufacture and sell a sport utility vehicle with permanent four-wheel drive.

Porsche AG Results for FY98/99: Sales and Production Substantially Higher