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What exactly is a Kardex?
What exactly is a Kardex and what was it used for? Why do 356'ers always talk about having a Kardex? And what is a Certificate of Authenticity and how is it different from a Kardex? Well, first off, a 356 or early 911 or 912 Porsche Kardex is a paper data card on which is recorded information about an individual 356, 911 or 912 Porsche. It is part of an information system used by Porsche in the 1950's and 1960's that was developed and marketed by what is now Kardex, AG, an international company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Today, the Kardex Remstar International Group is one of the leading suppliers of products and services in the logistics of dynamic data storage and retrieval systems.
Dr. Brett Johnson described the Kardex in his article shown on the 356 Registry website as follows:
"The original purpose of this card was to be a warranty record for work performed on the car at the factory. It was not the "build sheet", but has ended up being the only useful and accessible document relating to the individual 356." |
Marco Marinello of Elevenparts in Zurich, Switzerland, another recognized authority on 356 Porsches confirms this:
".......the purpose of that card (the Kardex) was to keep track of warranty claims, nothing more!" |
If you examine an original Kardex carefully, you will see that this is true. It shows the car's Chassis Number, the Motor Number, and the Transmission Number. In addition, it may show the Ignition Switch Number and the Ignition Key Number. Of interest is the fact that the Kardex may also show if there has been a motor change or a transmission change with a place on the card for the new serial numbers. Also included may be Paint and Interior Colors and Numbers, the Service Book Number, and the Date of Guaranty Expiration.
The Kardex may also record whether it is a Special Model and may list the Optional Equipment originally supplied with the car. Further down on the card there is a box for the Dealer name, City and Country; and the name and address of the First Buyer. The rest of the document deals basically with Warranty Work completed on the car. Below is an early example of a Kardex from late 1958. There are several versions of the Kardex each with its own edition date and differences.
On the Kardex shown below, the serial numbers have been changed to protect the innocent! By looking at this Kardex, you can see the various serial numbers, the date the car left the factory, and the accessories that came originally with the car. You can also see that the dealer was Otto Glockler of Frankfurt, Germany and the first buyer was a John W. Romig. If you checked the serial numbers, you could determine what year and model the car was, what engine option it came with, and the original interior and exterior colors.
In both Kardexes below, you can see several dates. The first date "Ausgel. am" shown as 10.2.58 is the date the car left the Porsche factory. It is not the build date, just the date the car was shipped. The second date "Abnahme-Besch." is the date the car was delivered to the buyer. The third date "Garantie bis" is the date the factory guaranty on the car expires. Note that the factory guaranty in 1958 was only six months!
The Kardex wasn't the only record kept by Porsche during the 356 era. There were other production records some of which did not survive. Marco Marinello explains:
"There were other production records, but none of these "built" records survived! There must have been tons of paper from the order form to the final invoice. However there are some other production references that survived: Reutter books and ALL 356 (early 911) Drauz, and Karmann. Chassis numbers were written in large books with all the color codes of for paint and upholstery, all in code form. These books were the control books for every chassis that was delivered to Porsche. It was part fiscal control with invoice date and number and also what was delivered when. Remember, the first person that bought your 356 was Porsche itself! Engine books: all engines produced were written in books with chassis number, and engine internal number. Gearbox books: gearboxes were recorded with remarks about ratio and chassis number. Finally, the Fuel Book, that is my term. When the car received the first time 10 liters of fuel (early cars got 18 Liters, then 15, then 12, then 10, then 8). The gas pump attendant marked all cars into these wonderful books. Chassis number, engine number, internal number, radio number and dates. If you wish, you can call this the Birth Book because that is the first time the complete car moved under its own power!" |
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Kardex, edition 9/57! Serial #'s changed to protect the innocent! |
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Kardex, edition 11/60! |
Translations of the words on the Kardex from German to English!
German |
English |
German |
English |
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Fahrgest.-Nr. | Chassis # | Garantie bis | Guaranty Ends | |
Motor-Nr. | Motor # | KD-Heft Nr. | Service Book # | |
Getrieb-Nr. | Transmission # | Kfz.-Brief Nr. | Title # | |
Zundschloss-Nr. | Ignition Switch # | Sonderausfuhrung | Special Model | |
Schlussel-Nr. | Ignition Key # | Sonderausstattung | Special Equipment | |
Ausgel.am | Delivered Date from factory | Handler | Dealer | |
Abnahme-Besch. | Date Delivered to Buyer | Ort | City | |
Motor-And.-Nr. | New Motor # | Land | Country | |
Getrieb-And.Nr. | New Transmission # | Wagenbesitzer | Buyer | |
Farbe | Color | Anschrift und Bem. | Address & Notes | |
Polsterung | Upholstery | Handler | Dealer | |
Wartungs-dienste | Maintenance Work | Gegebener Betrag | Paid Out Amount | |
Gewahrleistungs-Anfrage | Warranty Claim Inquiry | Angweiessen am | Date Paid | |
Kulanz Antrage | Goodwill (free) Work | Natural-Ersatz | Free Parts Replaced | |
km-Stand | Milage | Geliefert am | Delivery Date | |
Instandsetzung | Date of Repair | KD - 1 M 9.57 HG 100 | Kardex Edition Date |
Translations contributed by Dr. Brett Johnson and Marco Marinello.
Alphabetical Interior Color Codes used on Color Charts & some Kardexs.
Recently questions were raised about the alphabetic interior color codes found on some Kardexes. These Porsche factory codes also show up on factory color charts. So in addition to factory exterior paint color codes, there are factory alphabetic interior color codes to identify the available colors of interior upholstery, i.e. seats, door panels, dash tops, etc.
Code |
Color |
356-B T-5 |
356-B T-6 | 356-C |
A |
Red |
X |
X |
X |
B |
Black |
X |
X |
X |
C |
Light Brown |
X |
X |
No |
D |
Light Grey |
X |
X |
X |
E |
Dark Grey |
X |
No |
No |
F |
BLue |
X |
X |
X |
G |
Green |
No |
X |
X |
H |
Brown |
No |
X |
No |
K |
Fawn |
No |
No |
X |
The above table shows the regularly offered factory interior color codes for 356 B's and 356-C's 1960 to 1965. This is NOT to say that there weren't other interior colors available as special orders, throughout the B/C production period. Most know that if you had the GELD, you could probably get any color you wanted!
Click here for 356 Porsche Factory Technical Manuals For Sale!
Certificates of Authenticity!
Certificates of Authenticity are a creation of Porsche Cars of North America, Inc., the USA distributor for Porsche AG, Stuttgart. In the past you could write a letter to Porsche in Germany, and they would send you a "copy" of the Kardex. This became very popular with 356'ers who were eager to document their cars and learn what they were like when they left the assembly line. At some point, this practice came to a halt, as Dr. Johnson explains:
"Several years back the system of writing to the factory and receiving a photocopy of the actual Kardex was discontinued, primarily due to laws in Germany put in place to protect individuals whose names were on the cards in association with the warranty work performed. At that time the content was transcribed, except for the owner and dealer information, and sent back to you from the customer relations department in Germany." |
Today, those of us here in the USA probably can't get a copy of the Kardex for our cars from the factory! Instead, Porsche Cars of North America, Inc. will provide you with a Certificate of Authenticity. This document is a transcription of some of the original Kardex information onto a fancy certificate provided upon request for a fee. Since one can't get a copy of the Kardex any longer, receiving a Certificate of Authenticity is probably the next best thing, although you do have to pay dearly for it! Below are three examples of Certificates of Authenticity. The first is dated in 1996, the second is undated, and the last is a German language version provided by Porsche Deutchland GmbH dated 2007. There may also be other versions of this document.
Click here for 356 Porsche Certificate of Authenticity Order Form!
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English Version dated 1996. |
English Version, undated. |
German Version dated 2007. |
If you have a different version of a Certificate of Authenticity, I'd like to add it to this website!
The Certificate of Authenticity provides basic information about the car including the Model, Year and Type, the Engine Number and Transmission Number, and the Interior and Exterior Colors, Codes and Fabric Type. Some certificates include what they refer to as a "Birth Date/Delivery Date" The term "Birth Date" may be misleading. Marco Marinello says the following about this:
"This is not the production date, there is no such thing! Detroit would |
In addition, most Certificates of Authenticity show a listing of the optional equipment that was ordered with the car. However, not all Certificates of Authenticity provide the same information, OR EVEN COMPLETE INFORMATION! Some provide very little information beyond the serial numbers. It should be recalled that the Certificates we receive here in the USA are provided by Porsche Cars of North American, Inc. whose people do the translations of the German terms into English. It has been reported on a number of occassions that the Certificates were not complete, some even erroneous!
Sometimes the translations in the Certificates result in English terms that don't make a lot of sense. For example, one Certificate made reference to a "Corduroy linen bag"! Well, what's that? That must be a really rare accessory! Another made reference to "Broadened Brakes". Not sure how to intrepret that. Still another included a "Left Turn Signal Switch"! Does that mean the car only makes left turns? Still don't know what that's all about! But these are the problems when German terms are translated into English. Marco Marinello, who has been providing lots of great information, and who has translated many of the German terms, sent me an email with the following comment about German words and their translations:
"Satz verchr. Lochscheibenrader - Set of chromed wheels. Loch - hole, Scheiben - disc, Rader - wheels: funny word but this comes from early days when all cars had wooden spoke wheels, then the first steel disc wheels came, then they had some holes into the steel disc wheels, and you end up in German thinking with such funny words!" |
So is the Certificate of Authenticity worth the trouble and the money? An open question. For some seeking to document their cars, this may be the only way to do so, errors and all, on the theory that something is better than nothing. For others it's a waste of money! Who needs it? To each his own, I guess. If you want a Certificate of Authenticity, Dr. Johnson says:
"For a fee of $110.00 & $5.95 Shipping & Handling ($10 discount to PCA & 356 Registry |
German Accessory Words! English Translations!
Radzierkappen mit Wappen | Wheel hub cap with crest |
Verchromte Lochscheibenrader | Chrome plated wheels |
Verchromte Radzentralverschlussrader | Chrome plated knock-off wheels |
Kupferhammer | Copper hammer |
Weisswandreifen | White wall tires |
Super-Sport-Reifen | Supersport tires |
Nebellampen | Fog lamps |
Nebellampen mit gelbem Glas | Fog Lamps with yellow glass |
Steinschlaggitter fur Scheinwerfer | Headlight grills |
Zeituhr fur Mitte Armaturenbrett | Electric clock in center of dash |
Aussenspiegel | Outside rear view mirror |
Abblendbarer Innenspiegel | Inside anti-glare mirror |
Aussen-Innenthermometer | Inside-outside thermometer |
Handlampe, elektrisch | Hand lamp, electric |
Elektrische Scheibenwaschanlage | Electric windshield washer |
Gepacktasche unter Vorderhaube | Canvas bag under front hood |
Kokos-Fussmatten | Koko floor mats |
Veluran Fussmatten | Veluran floor mats |
Sonnenblende mit Frisier-Spiegel | Sunshade with vanity mirror |
Serienmassige Sonnenblende | Standard sun visor |
Sicherheitsgurte | Safety belt |
Schragschultergurt | Diagonal safety belt |
Verlangerte Lenksaule | Extended steering column |
Signalring, verchromt | Horn ring, chromed |
Holzlenkrad | Wood steering wheel |
Feuerloscher | Fire extinguisher |
Ausgleichfeder | Compensating spring |
Koni-Stossdampfer | Koni shock absorber |
Standheizung | Additional heater |
Radial Zusatzgeblase | Fresh air blower |
Ersatzteiltasche | Travel kit |
Lackstift | Touch up paint dispenser |
Lederkoffer | Leather suitcase |
Lederriemen | Leather straps (for luggage) |
Verdeckschutz | Cover - tonneau cover |
Expander | Elastic strap |
Diebstahlsicherung unter Armaturenbrett | Anti-theft switch under dashboard |
Liegesitze | Reclining seat |
Zigarrenanzunder | Cigarette lighter |
Ascher | Ashtray |
Sitzkissen | Foam rubber cushion |
Schottenkoffer | Canvas "plaids" suitcase |
Plastikkoffer | Plastic or vinyl suitcase |
Ausziehbare Antenne | Antenna mnaually operated |
Ausziehbare Antenne | Lockable antenna |
Lautsprecher | loudspeaker |
Scheibenwischermotor | Windshield wiper motor |
Hardtop-Aufsatz, Serienfarbe | Hardtop, standard color |
Ausziehbare Antenne | Manually operated antenna |
Abschliessbare Antenne | Lockable antenna |
Lautsprecher | Loudspeaker |
Sonderlackierung Kunstharz | Special paint, synthetic enamel |
Zweifarben-Lackierung | Two tone paint |
Ganzlederpolsterung | Complete leather upholstery |
Ledersitze | Leather seats |
Sitzbank | Bench seat |
Zusatzlicher Schalensitz | Additional bucket seat |
Armstutze | Arm rest |
Schlummerrolle | Head rest |
Beschlag | Fittings |
Zusatzliches Cabriolet Verdeck | Additional soft top |
Zusatzlicher abnehmbarer Aufsatz | Additional detachable steel roof |
Stahl-Schiebedach | Steel sun roof |
Windabweiser fur Stahlschiebedach | Wind deflector for steel sun roof |
Elektrisch beheizte Windschutzscheibe | Electrically heated windshield |
Verdeckschutz | Cover |
Zierleisten | Chrome strips |
Kompressor Fanfare | Roadmaster horn |
Gepackbrucke | Travel rack |
Satz lederriemen | Set of straps |
Persenning mit Reissverschluss | Tonneau cover with zip fastener |
Sperrdifferential | Limited slip differential |
Zubehor-Preisliste | Accessory price list |
Dealer Purchase Order Forms!
Another source of information about a 356 Porsche is the Dealer Purchase Documents, usually consisting of a Purchase Order, various receipts, and maybe a title application. Many purchase order forms show a lot of detail about the car like the year and model of the car, the engine and chassis serial numbers, and a listing of accessories. The listing of accessories on a Dealer Purchase Order may cause confusion as it may not differentiate between factory supplied accessories and dealer supplied accessories. In any case, an original Purchase Order provides a lot of interesting information about the car when it was first delivered to a buyer. Below are several examples including a factory purchase order, a European dealer order, and a USA dealer order.
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Factory Purchase Order dated 2/15/65. |
Euro VW dealer Purchase Order dated 6/7/61. |
It is interesting to note that the factory purchase order above is in English, and the price is "Ex factory". Additionally there is a line where there is a choice of speedometer in MPH or KM, and a choice of European or sealed beam headlights. Both purchase orders above list quite a few accessories. You can use the table above to translate them into English! In the USA dealer purchase order below, there are only two accessories, chrome wheels and the reclining seat option. It also mentions "seat belts not installed" and "black head rest, not in stock".
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USA Porsche/VW dealer Purchase Order dated 4/25/62. |
Contributors to this website:
Dr. Brett Johnson, Marco Marinello, Freddy Rabbit, Dale Moody,
Bill Block, Dave Wildrick, Mike Smith (UK). Tom Farnum, and Perry Lee.
"DerWhite's 356 Porsche Sales & Technical
Literature......the Book!"
Size 8.5 x 11 inches, Hardbound, 356 Pages, All Color!
Click here for more details about DerWhite's New Book!
Research and website creation by:
Charlie White
Copyright@2007, 2014 DerWhite Productions, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Website created 8/23/07, updated 3/2/14.