It all began with a rather humble request back in 1955. Industrialist Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach wanted a rear windshield wiper for his 356 A Coupé. Certainly an unusual request for the time, but Porsche said yes, and the rest is history. It triggered a movement that went from small fixes at the Stuttgart Zuffenhausen workshops to full-blown, tailor-made, bespoke hypercars today under Porsche’s Sonderwunsch and Exclusive Manufaktur programs. In 1962, Krupp asked for another rear wiper, this time for his 356 B Carrera 2, and it wasn’t an easy one to pull off. But after several cracked windshields, a mechanic was finally able to get the job done.
By the mid-to-late 1960s, Porsche was handling more than quirky requests, and the same was on display in a 1968 911 2.0, a purpose-built machine that was set to take part in the 16,000-kilometer (9,942-mile) London to Sydney rally. Given that the car would encounter everything from run-ins with wild animals to river crossings on the transcontinental run, it was extensively modified with things like a tubular frame and a tailpipe that was extended above the roofline of the vehicle.
In the mid-1970s, Italian Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera pushed the envelope even further, as he requested a street-legal, 917 Kurzheck, yes, the same endurance racer that had dominated Le Mans a few years prior. Porsche delivered by fitting mirrors, lights, and a muffler to tame the 620 horsepower beast, and a bespoke leather-clad cabin with added creature comforts. A second 917 Street followed in 1977.
By 1978, the Sonderwunsch department was officially born, and then came more icons. In 1983, Saudi businessman Mansour Ojjeh’s 935 “Street” set a new benchmark with 930 Turbo-based build. Featuring a Flachbau body with candy apple paint, a cream caramel leather interior with wood paneling, this slantnose beauty helped inspire Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur in 1986
The subsequent decades saw the creation of even wilder builds. A seven-car run of 24-karat gold-plated Porsche 959s for the Qatari royal family in 1989, a Turbo 3.3 Cabriolet with a rain-sensing electric convertible roof with a 28–page option list in 1990. Fast forward to 1997: a Coppa Florio Blue 911 GT2 (993) received a Can Can Red leather interior, with even the radio and lights switched being wrapped. In 2004, a customer’s orange 911 (996) Turbo Cab was color-matched inside-out to a porcelain plate. Porsche eventually launched the ‘Most Personal Car’ initiative back in 2004.
But above all, let’s not forget actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, one of the most prominent Porsche collectors in the world who famously owns a one-off 996 Classic Club coupe built by Sonderwunsch, that took inspiration from the limited-run 997 Sport Classic. With just 250 produced, this retro-inspired 911 features a ducktail spoiler, Fuchs-style wheels, and a double-dome roof that harkens back to the 1970s. In all, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur introduced four collector variants from the Heritage Design Edition.
By 2021, Porsche had taken it to a whole new level with Exclusive Manufaktur, which today offers over 1,000 options and 190 paint colors to choose through the Paint-to-sample program. Custom builds through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program also reached new heights with the likes of the Ding Yang Taycan Turbo S and more recently, in 2024, when singer-songwriter Álvaro Soler customised a 928 S with Soler yellow metallic paint, a pampa brown leather interior, and a 360-degree sound system developed by the Porsche development center in Weissach.
A one-off 993 Speedster commission finished in luminous yellow, created for Italian designer and collector Luca Trazzi was particularly special as Porsche skipped series production of the 911 Speedster for the 993 generation, but built this one-off at Trazzi’s request.
Essentially, Porsche’s Sonderwunsch (special request or special wishes) program and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur have come a long way since the early days of factory customization. Where Exclusive Manufaktur focuses on pre-defined options and finishing, Sonderwunsch takes things to a whole new level with truly bespoke one-off creations, including unique body modifications, wheel designs and even factory restorations of historical vehicles. Both programs offer highly personalized experiences and are a showcase of what’s possible, limited only by your imagination and budget.
Source: Porsche