History of custom Porsche leading to Sonderwunsch 'Special Request' and Exclusive Manufaktur

Porsche has a long history of customization, dating all the way back to the 1950s, which paved the way for today’s Sonderwunsch department and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.

These days, luxury carmakers allow a range of customizations and optional extras to ensure customers get exactly what they want.

But in the case of Porsche, customization has been an option since the mid-1950s.

And those early requests helped to form the comprehensive and extensive customizations you can get today.

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History of custom Porsche

Porsche – or Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG to give it its full name – was founded in Germany in 1931. 

Since then, the marque has been responsible for producing some of the world’s most coveted and desirable cars, like the iconic Porsche 911.

Like many other high-end carmakers, Porsche offers a customization program to its discerning customers, but what you might not know is that customization has been a part of the brand’s makeup since the mid-1950s.

One of Porsche’s notable early customization requests was for a rear windshield wiper.

Yep, although a windshield wiper is standard on today’s vehicles, back in the 1950s, that wasn’t the case.

Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach requested the windshield wiper for his 356 A Coupé and was so pleased with how it looked, he then sent his 1962 356 B Carrera 2 in to have the same.

The second time around, it was a more complicated job for engineers, who had to drill a hole into the windshield to make room for both the wiper and its motor.

The result? Several cracked windshields, but undeterred, the mechanic carried on until he finally managed it.

Although customer requests were relatively scarce back then, over the years they grew and went on to include all manner of unusual and interesting modifications and customizations, like turning a Kurzheck 917 into a street-legal vehicle back in the 1970s and fitting a 24-carat gold exhaust tailpipe onto a Porsche 959 in the late 1980s. 

“What started out as individual customer requests evolved into a tradition that has consistently expanded over the past 70 years, a period in which Porsche has developed valuable expertise,” the marque explains.

Today’s Sonderwunsch ‘Special Request’ department and Exclusive Manufaktur

From its early days, Porsche has expanded its customization program, and while it was originally only dealing with a handful of requests from customers, its Sonderwunsch and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur ranges now include some of the carmaker’s most popular products. 

The Sonderwunsch – or special request – program has a long history of unique products and one-offs that help to ‘illustrate the brand’s innovative power and attention to detail’. 

Historical projects involved major modifications to engines, chassis, and brakes to be used for racing purposes, like a highly-modified 911 S 2.0 that was specially developed for the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon. 

In 2021, the Sonderwunsch program was relaunched, meaning customers can still create truly one-off vehicles. 

However, for those who aren’t in the market for a completely overhauled bespoke vehicle, the Exclusive Manufaktur program offers customers the opportunity to fine-tune their new car and give it a personal touch. 

Originally launched as Porsche Exclusive in 1986, it was rebranded as Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur in 2017. 

From custom paintwork and unusual color combos, to interior materials and tinted taillights, there are almost limitless options when it comes to Exclusive Manufaktur – and all of them can be utilized to turn a stock-standard Porsche into the car of your dreams. 

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