OK, you’ve found a Carrera 3.0.   Now what!!   

- How do you know if it’s “right”?   

- Are the options correct? 

- Is the engine original?

- Does the paperwork match the car?

​

All of these are fair questions—and often those questions lead people straight to Porsche’s official documentation:  the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) or its newer replacement, the Porsche Production Specification (PPS).   Everyone wants an all original car, or maybe even a restored car with all of the options, and specs, like it came from the factory.   But here's the truth:  It is very difficult to prove the data on these documents is correct.   Both the COA and PPS, are often incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading.  

 

The older COAs were notorious for:

        - Missing or incorrect option codes

        - Vague references to equipment

        - Wrong engine or transmission numbers

        - Misnamed colors or trim

        - Omitting special-order or dealer-installed features entirely

​

Then came the PPS, marketed as an improvement.  Unfortunately, many have found the PPS to be even less detailed and more generic than the already-flawed COA.  Why?....

​

Porsche is often working from scanned microfiche, shorthand build records, or incomplete archival data—especially for 1970s models.   And when those records get translated or retyped, errors and omissions multiply.  So if your PPS or COA lists options your car doesn’t have—or fails to mention things you know are original—you’re not alone.  It doesn’t necessarily mean the car is wrong. It means the paperwork might be!

​

If you really want to find out what specs your car had when it left the factory, these are your most reliable

sources—each with its own strengths and challenges:

​

Fahrzeug-Auftrag (Vehicle Order Form):

This is the most accurate and complete build document, generated at the time of order.

It includes engine and transmission numbers, paint and trim codes, and options as ordered.

     - Pros: Factory-issued, specific to your car.

     - Cons: Hard to obtain, especially outside Europe. Porsche rarely, if ever, provides them today.

​

Window Sticker (Monroney Label):

Found mostly on U.S.-delivered cars, this shows factory and port-installed options, pricing, and delivery

info.

     - Pros: Original to the car, great snapshot of how it was marketed and sold.

     - Cons: Irrelevant for the Carrera 3.0, as it was a Europe-only model and never sold new in the U.S.

​

Dealer Price Lists and Period Documentation:

Helps confirm what options were actually available in a given model year for your market.

     - Pros: Essential for judging period correctness.

     - Cons: Doesn’t confirm what was installed on a specific car.

​

Verified Photographs and Service Records:

Long-term documentation that shows the condition and features of the car across its lifetime.

     - Pros: Useful for confirming originality and long-term consistency.

     - Cons: Requires a well-documented car history.

​

What is most important??? 

​

From a collector’s standpoint, the most important things to verify on a Carrera 3.0 are the following 

 

 - The correct Carrera 3.0 engine type (ideally numbers matching)

     (for engine data and specs go here)

​​​

 - The correct transmission type (again, ideally numbers-matching)

​   (for transmission data and specs go here)

​​

 - The original exterior color​

​

The key to having a collectors piece, because of the lack of provable data,  is whether the car has options that were offered during the period and are appropriate for the year.  Whether or not they’re listed perfectly on a faulty certificate matters less than whether they’re authentic and plausible for a 1976 or 1977 build.   In the end, your car’s actual physical details and verified history matter more than a flawed certificate.  The paper might be official—but that doesn’t mean it’s right.  

​

One final note: the Carrera 3.0 was never a garage queen. These cars were driven—hard—and many saw daily use across Europe. As a result, the exact original configuration may never be fully known in many cases. If proper documentation isn’t available, the best approach is to keep everything

period correct and consistent with what was available at the time. If you do that,  your example will be just as authentic and respected as one with a perfect paper trail.