Oldest Porsche Type 64 in Existence to Cross the Auction Block
A piece of automotive history can be inside your garage if you win the auction. The Porsche WWII survivor is expected to bring in around $20 million.
The Porsche that started it all
This Type 64 is believed to be the oldest surviving vehicle in Porsche's collection and is set to be auctioned at an RM Sotheby event in August. This car was the only one to survive World War II and now, it will be going off to a new home this summer. Even further than the things this historic creation has seen, the car was the precursor to the iconic 356.
Photos: RM Sotheby's
Escaping from harm
Ferdinand Porsche designed the Type 64 himself so that it could race between Berlin and Rome in September of 1939. Based on the VW Beetle, the Type 64 was built with a streamlined aluminum body and a 32 horsepower flat-four engine. Sadly, that race never happened due to Nazi Germany invading Poland.
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From father to son
The Type 64 project was resurrected by Ferry Porsche when he built a new version of the car. Chassis 3 was built in 1940 and used the skeletal frame from the original Type 64. It made the trip from Germany to Austria where Ferry has the Porsche moniker placed on the car and registered it in 1946. In 1947, Battista "Pinin" Farina, founder of Carrozzeria Pininfarina restored the prototype back to glory.
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Carefully cared for
In 1948 the Type 64 was shown alongside the 356 roadster at a presentation in Austria. Famous racer of the time, Otto Mathé really liked the Type 64 and bought the car in 1949. The car was kept in his possession for 46 years until his death in 1995. Following Mathé's passing, the Type 64 was sold to author Thomas Gruber.
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You can't put a price on that...but then again you can
Marcus Görig, an automotive specialist at RM Sotheby remarks that "Without the Type 64, there would be no Porsche 356, no 550, no 911. This is Porsche's origin story, the car that birthed the company's legend, and it offers collectors what is likely an unrepeatable opportunity to sit in the seat of Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche."
For whoever purchases the Type 64 will gain the ability to be in the front row at any future Porsche events for the foreseeable future.
>>Join the conversation about the Type 64 right here in Rennlist.com.
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