Idea of a Roadster – How the Boxster was Born?

When the company was facing huge financial challenges, Porsche’s rescue came in a form of a roadster. This is the story how the Porsche Boxster was born.

Difficult Years

In the early 1990s, Porsche was in a difficult situation. The recession of the early 1990s hit the sports car manufacturer hard. Porsche’s sales figures were declining, partly due to the fall in value of the US dollar. In 1991, Porsche sold only 23,000 cars. Just five years before, it sold more than double than that.

At the time, Porsche had four product lines. And the production costs of the company’s four technically very independent product lines, the 911, 944, 968 and 928, were enormous. A new model was needed to icrease the sales, but that would mean a big investment.

The costliest part of a new car development was its front end. These include the steering gear and suspension, lights, doors and door frames. And the interior with the instrument panel. And the new car needs to be crash tested.

Roadster to the Rescue

Considering the situation of the world economy, perhaps unexpectedly Porsche’s rescue came in a form of a roadster. The concept for a two-seater, mid-engine roadster was part of a new strategy introduced by a new generation of the management board in 1991.

Three members of the executive board, Horst Marchart (Research and Development), Wendelin Wiedeking (Production and Materials Management), and Dieter Laxy (Sales) presented the idea of an additional product line using the components of a new 911.

“The idea was to create an additional product line from the vehicle concept and components of a new 911. It was to be a two-seater with a front end close to that of the 911 to guarantee clear identification of the car as a Porsche. In addition, the new car should cost around 70,000 marks and also appeal to younger customers. ” said Horst Marchart, remembering the presentation to the shareholders, while other ideas were also presented.

“We did not believe that the four-seater Type 989 being developed at the time would rescue us from our difficult financial situation as the expected sales figures would be too low for the company and the dealer organisation, and the vehicle would also not allow any common parts with the 911 model series because it was an independent product line,”

The Boxster is Born

Marchart’s roadster concept made more use of the common parts or carry-over parts (COP) principle. As a result, the first 986 generation Boxster shared the front end, doors and numerous other components with the 996 generation 911, which launched in 1997, a year after the Boxster was introduced. The move resulted in significantly lower production and inventory costs for both product lines, and some rigorous cost management.

The Porsche Boxster concept was presented in 1993. and after the hugely positive feedback, the production model, which was almost identical with the concept, was unveiled in 1996. The introduction of the Porsche Boxster marked a turning point in the company’s fortunes. The agile, mid-engine roadster not only opened up a new market segment for Porsche, but also attracted a significantly younger customer group, thanks to price positioning below the established 911.

Images by Porsche