Do I own the earliest UK registered Boxster?

[Toddie]

@Daboy3000 here is what I suggest you do, open up PCGB website, then go to the Porsche Club Community, then click on model registers, then click on modern in the drop down list, then navigate to Boxster. This will then give you the option to email the lady who runs the Boxster register. If you ask nicely, She should be able to tell you whether they have an earlier car than your’s on the register, as to have your car on the register you have to give your vin number to the club.

I know you have contacted PCGB but I suspect that will have been the office, I have not mentioned names here as I don’t want the lady involved being contacted by loads of people.

[½cwt]

The numbers either side of yours (I worked it out with a little trial and error from your redacted number...) were registered on 24 April 97 (a Ford Escort) and 30 Dec 96 (a Citroen ZX) which seems a little strange in itself as the numbers used to be issued in blocks to dealers certainly in the early 90s.

Edited December 7, 2022 by ½cwt

[map]

Calling @tracy

[Daboy3000]

Well, I think I am going to give up for now.  Got the below back from Porsche GB Classic department but as I don't know what dealer supplied the car I am at a dead end.  Still, it was fun while it lasted.
 

I have had a look into our files but it’s hard to find anything that will help you I’m afraid.

We do have an early left hand drive UK registered car (P161EGM) on our Classic Fleet for Porsche Cars which was brought over to star in a Bond film for all of two seconds (Tomorrow Never Dies) it then became a training car for when the 986 was in production – that car from what I can see was manufactured in August of 96 but appears to have been registered on 12^th December 1996. Your car looks to have been manufactured on 31st October of 96 for reference but from your records would suggest it to be registered earlier than our car/s. 

I can’t confirm anything unfortunately, but I had suspected our LHD car to have been registered prior to yours but it appears not to have been despite being built 2 months prior. Whilst it doesn’t help or confirm anything hopefully that gives you some reference at least.

Do you have the original service book or drivers manual? If so it should tell you who the selling dealer was, if so it might be worth getting in contact with them as they might be able to back through their records, they might be able to tell you if the car was a demonstrator or customer car.

[Baldrick]

'OX' is a Birmingham reg I think so it's a long shot but you could try calling OPC's in that area?

But I suspect you'd have to be very lucky to get a hit 😪

[Ninesomething]

Cars in movies are often not registered at the time.

[Daboy3000]

Just now, Baldrick said:

'OX' is a Birmingham reg I think so it's a long shot but you could try calling OPC's in that area?

But I suspect you'd have to be very lucky to get a hit 😪

I did think about that.  I used to work for a VW/Audi dealership 20 years ago, just not sure whether anyone at a dealership could actually help.  They may have some sort of paper filling system going back 26 years but I can't see a salesperson or service person being able to get that info and be willing to waste their time looking.

[edc]

Call and give them the reg. They can see if it's on the system. Also can try looking at the location of the first MOT. 

[edc]

4 hours ago, edc said:

Call and give them the reg. They can see if it's on the system. Also can try looking at the location of the first MOT. 

I think if you put the VIN into the MOT checker it tells you the MOT station number and location. If you are lucky it might be the selling OPC service department then you will know that is where it was likely bought from. 

[½cwt]

3 minutes ago, edc said:

I think if you put the VIN into the MOT checker it tells you the MOT station number and location. If you are lucky it might be the selling OPC service department then you will know that is where it was likely bought from. 

I think the online checker only goes back to 2005 having checked my Boxster and another older car reg I know the history of.

[Paul P]

On 12/7/2022 at 5:54 PM, Toddie said:

@Daboy3000 here is what I suggest you do, open up PCGB website, then go to the Porsche Club Community, then click on model registers, then click on modern in the drop down list, then navigate to Boxster. This will then give you the option to email the lady who runs the Boxster register. If you ask nicely, She should be able to tell you whether they have an earlier car than your’s on the register, as to have your car on the register you have to give your vin number to the club.

I know you have contacted PCGB but I suspect that will have been the office, I have not mentioned names here as I don’t want the lady involved being contacted by loads of people.

The PCGB boxster register Secretary is a member on here - she doesn't pop up often - you could try tagging her ( @tracy ) and see what happens - but I suspect PCGB don't have any better info that Porsche UK.

[Daboy3000]

9 hours ago, Paul P said:

The PCGB boxster register Secretary is a member on here - she doesn't pop up often - you could try tagging her ( @tracy ) and see what happens - but I suspect PCGB don't have any better info that Porsche UK.

Thanks Paul. I have already spoken to Tracy, unfortunately they don't have the reg dates on file. 

[Daboy3000]

Latest update. The car was the first demonstrator for a dealership. Don't know which, yet.  Email from Porsche below.. 

I thought I would share the below from one of my technical colleagues who was in the business when the 986 launched, he shared some interesting info on your car.

 

This looks like one the cars that was registered for each centre at the end of 1996.

 

When Boxster was first launched all the dealers had a car registered and we did a Launch Event at PCGB.

 

We had somewhere between 30 and 40 cars lined up in the workshop, basically each centre then drove there demo Boxster back to their centre once the launch was complete, this appears to be one of those cars.

 

Whilst still nothing concrete as to if the car is the earliest, it’s interesting nonetheless though!

[jonogt6]

3 hours ago, Daboy3000 said:

Latest update. The car was the first demonstrator for a dealership. Don't know which, yet.  Email from Porsche below.. 

I thought I would share the below from one of my technical colleagues who was in the business when the 986 launched, he shared some interesting info on your car.

 

This looks like one the cars that was registered for each centre at the end of 1996.

 

When Boxster was first launched all the dealers had a car registered and we did a Launch Event at PCGB.

 

We had somewhere between 30 and 40 cars lined up in the workshop, basically each centre then drove there demo Boxster back to their centre once the launch was complete, this appears to be one of those cars.

 

Whilst still nothing concrete as to if the car is the earliest, it’s interesting nonetheless though!

That was good of them to follow it up👍. You never know, there may be photos of the launch somewhere.

[Daboy3000]

34 minutes ago, jonogt6 said:

That was good of them to follow it up👍. You never know, there may be photos of the launch somewhere.

For sure.  Yes I was hoping there might be a photo of the line up.  Not sure how to find it though.

[edc]

25 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said:

For sure.  Yes I was hoping there might be a photo of the line up.  Not sure how to find it though.

Clue is in your email reply I guess, PCGB where the launche ent was held. Also Porsche have a marketing department and they must have an archive. 

[Daboy3000]

I'll go back to my contact at Porsche and PCGB

[½cwt]

PCGB is confusing it stands for 2 organisations: Porsche Cars Great Britain and Porsche Club Great Britain. I imagine the Boxster launch event with dealers and their demonstrators would have been at the former, not the latter....

[Jon61]

On 12/7/2022 at 5:42 PM, Daboy3000 said:

I had to double check, that Sunday date is odd. 

I've only just read the later parts of this thread, so responding to a bit of an old detail I'm afraid. But I came across a similar oddity when I was trying to work out if an early Boxster that cropped up on this forum was my first (1998) one, despite the fact that the registration date shown online didn't match up exactly to what I knew it was. It WAS the same car, and I came to the conclusion that when DVLA digitised their earlier records, they didn't transfer the full dates, but just the month and year.

[Daboy3000]

1 hour ago, Jon61 said:

I've only just read the later parts of this thread, so responding to a bit of an old detail I'm afraid. But I came across a similar oddity when I was trying to work out if an early Boxster that cropped up on this forum was my first (1998) one, despite the fact that the registration date shown online didn't match up exactly to what I knew it was. It WAS the same car, and I came to the conclusion that when DVLA digitised their earlier records, they didn't transfer the full dates, but just the month and year.

This could explain the sunday issue and that there are older cars (earlier built) reg'd after.  Maybe they couldn't read the writing on some.

[Daboy3000]

Apparently there is a picture of the cars from the PCGB event in the magazine Porsche Post issue 1 1997.

Still trying to get some photos, but in the meantime, do any of you guys happen to have that issue from 26 years ago by any chance?

[Boxob]

Various Ebay sellers have Porsche Posts. For example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/194953048756

[Daboy3000]

Thanks @Boxob

I had a look earlier, many have a contents page shot too, but i'm a little unsure exactly which one it's in.  I've gone back to the PCGB archive guy for some clarity.

[Daboy3000]

Calling any PCGB members with a spare few minutes.

After being told about a photo and trying to clarify with the same person which issue of Porsche Post my car may be in, he has come back saying go and look in the PCGB archives.  Not sure why he couldn't have just sent it to me or told me the correct date so I can buy one from ebay.  Any way, i am not about to spend £85 on club membership so if anyone has access, maybe they can find it? 

In the meantime I now have the Business Development Manager from Porsche GB digging around, looks like he's as personally as invested as me now!

This is the info I got from the PCGB archivist. 
On December 10^th 1996, at Porsche Cars HQ in Reading, the dealer demonstrators were lined up before being driven back to their respective locations. a small image of this event is shown on page 6 of Porsche Post, issue 1 1997. From the image and text it appears most were in silver although one is in red.

[edc]

I guess they would be more inclined to find it and send a scan if you were a member.