1978 · 1979

1978  

Finals: Tracy Austin (USA) - Betty Stove (NL)

6:3 6:3
Championship Prize: Porsche 924
Prize Money: $35,000

The first step is always the most difficult one: Dieter Fischer, who wanted to make his new tennis centre in Filderstadt-Plattenhardt a meeting point that would attract world-class players, had knocked on many doors in vain in his search for financial backing. Yet Lars Schmidt, who was then a board member for sales and marketing at Porsche AG, let him in, listened and was congenial to the project of creating a sporting event with individual flair in Filderstadt. "It is thanks to Schmidt", says the tournament owner today, "that we have this tennis Grand Prix." The contact had been established by former Porsche motorsport boss Manfred Jantke

1979  

Women's finals: Tracy Austin (USA) - Martina Navratilova (USA)

6:2 6:0
Championship Prize: Porsche 924 Turbo
Prize Money: $100,000

The hot tip came from ZDF’s head of sport, Hajo Friedrichs: why not focus on the women and make the weaker sex strong? Fischer conferred with his sponsors and they made a clear decision: Ladies’ choice.

The first award followed immediately. It came from the Women‘s Tennis Association (WTA) for the best organisation of all 32 Grand Prix tournaments in the Colgate-Series.

Men's finals: Wojtek Fibak (PL) - Guillermo Vilas (ARG)

6:2 6:2 3:6 6:3
Championship Prize: Porsche 928
Prize Money: $75,000

No, this is not a misunderstanding. In fact, at the beginning of the Porsche Tennis-Grand-Prix, men were competing as well. The one who caused the greatest stir was Ivan Lendl, the number six seed at that time, who did not show up - and had to pay a fine of $1,000 to the ATP. The Argentinian tennis-poet Guillermo Vilas made all the headlines in the papers - that is until Wojtek Fibak beat him in the final and received a Porsche 928 to drive for a year. The sports car was then auctioned by the players' union ATP to the highest bidder.