Stop, a Terrorist Has Stolen My Porsche!

Rainer Schlegelmilch’s name is synonymous with high-impact images from motor racing’s golden years of the 60s and 70s. In June 1972, the German photographer was in front of the lens rather than behind it when he hit the headlines after his Porsche 911 Targa was stolen by none other than Andreas Baader…

Baader and Ulrike Meinhof were the best-known members of the Red Army Faction ( Rote Armee Fraktion, ‘RAF’), more commonly referred to as the ‘Baader-Meinhof Gang’. From the early 70s to the mid-90s, the RAF was responsible for 296 bomb, arson and other attacks.The gang’s intent was to cause general mayhem in protest at what they considered a ‘fascist state’. Cars were frequently stolen or hijacked in order to commit robberies and attacks on the West German government. As far as makes and models were concerned, the more powerful the better – BMWs soon became known as Baader-Meinhof-Wagen. Baader also ‘ran’ an Iso Rivolta.Schlegelmilch’s aubergine 911 was another victim of the RAF, disappearing on 1 June 1972, misappropriated by Baader and fellow gang member Holger Meins. This time, though,the car was soon recovered to the Bundes Kriminal Amt-Depot, the HQ of the German government’s criminal department.

Related Links There are many classic Porsches to buy (not steal...) in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Steve Wakefield Classic Driver
Photos: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Getty Images