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A Complete Glossary Of Porsche Terminology: Part Two

If you’ve ever had aspirations of becoming a tried and true Porsche fan, you might like to learn the lingo spoken by the most diehard Porschists. Well then, this series of posts is for you; presenting a full glossary of historic Porsche terminology. (Click here for part 1.)

“Entenbürzel” (or: “Ducktail”) – This is the spoiler originally belonging to the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS of 1972-’73, a car that was intended for a limited 500-unit run to meet homologation rules. The “Ducktail” turned out to be a functional necessity for the road-going version of the car, as it proved too hot for the street.

Oh, and by the way: while Porsche fretted about selling all 500 units, expensive as the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS was, the car proved so popular that the automaker ended up selling a grand total of 1,525 examples.

E.T. – A nickname given to the third, central brake light on the Porsche 911 starting in 1986, so-bestowed in reference to the fact that the light had to be raised with a snorkel-like appendage to be visible over the rear spoiler. You know, it’s like a finger, with a light at the end…

Ferdinand – The name of a great number of Porsche family members, including the marque’s original founder, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. In this case, “Ferdinand” has another meaning, though; it was the name given to a black Porsche 356 coupe, produced in 1950, which was given to the late Dr. Porsche on his 75th birthday. After Dr. Porsche’s passing, the black “Ferdinand” 356 coupe was used as a test car, accumulated about 300,000 km (about 186,000 miles), and retired to the Porsche Museum. It resides there to this day.

Fuchs Rims – Ah, you can’t very well call yourself a Porsche aficionado if you don’t know of Fuchs rims. These forged aluminum alloy wheels entered into production in the mid-1960s for the Porsche 911 S, although they were made continuously through 1989. They made an appearance on other Porsche models, too, like the 916/6 and 944. They are recognizable for their “cloverlead” design, with 5 wide spokes, and a black-and-clear coat scheme.

Grandmother – This is how Porschists once referred to the 718 W-RS Spyder race car, as it had a (comparatively long) life cycle of 4 years. The car twice won the European Mountain Championship, and in 1963, it even conquered its class at the infamous Targa Florio in Sicily.

Slow down there, Granny.

Hutch – A “hutch,” for those who have never held a job at a pet store, is a type of cage typically associated with keeping rabbits. It is typically a wood box with the exception of one wall, which is made of wire mesh for ventilation – and so you don’t forget you have a rabbit. As far as Porsche is concerned, though, “hutches” are the lockable compartments once installed in the rear of any Porsche 911 where the customer chose to forego the rear seats. Whether the compartments have ever been used to house rabbits is unknown.

Hippie – The “hippie” was a long-tail Porsche 917 which placed second at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was so-named because of its psychedelic blue and green paint job, reportedly inspired by the dress worn by an office secretary. And, hey, it was the ’70s.

Jörg Muffler – A special type of muffler developed by Porsche workshop manager Jörg Walter, which places two long tailpipes on the muffler chamber to give it that phat, raw tone and sporty look.

Be sure to check back in the near future for more authentic Porsche terminology.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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