Chassis No. L/11715

Many associate open-topped, mid-century air-cooled Porsches with beauty and elegance. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, Porsche balanced this aesthetic vision with a practical approach, reflecting the mindset prevalent across Western Europe at the time. Eager to expand beyond sports cars and contribute to West Germany's Wirtschaftswunder (Economic Miracle), Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche partnered with Allgaier in 1949, just a year after creating the Porsche 356 No. 1. Together, they developed the two-cylinder Allgaier Porsche 17 tractor. By 1956, Porsche-Diesel Motorenbau GmbH was established, and within two years, it became West Germany's second-largest tractor manufacturer, offering four distinct models: the single-cylinder Junior, two-cylinder Standard, three-cylinder Super, and four-cylinder Master.

The most versatile of these must be the three-cylinder Super 308 Super L model. It utilized an uprated 2,467-cc diesel engine producing 38 horsepower. Getrag designed a transmission with five forward speeds and a single reverse gear. Furthermore, it offered a bevel and spur gear final drive and a Power Take-Off (PTO), and numerous possible accessories available.

Perhaps more than the importance of helping Germany return to post-war self-sufficiency and its technical specification is that Porsche tractors are just plain FUN. For the longest time, those few restored Porsche-Diesels were held static in Porsche collections yet today they are concours favorites, or like this restored Super L, a participant in the 2023 Rennsport 7 Reunion Tractor Race! The idea of an affordable collectible Porsche often feels like a dream, yet the Porsche tractor is a true classic with charm and a practical streak as well.