First Porsche ever for auction at Monterey 2019

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 07.06.2019

The missing link between Volkswagen and the Porsche 356

While the final catalogue hasn’t yet been finalised for RM Sotheby’s big annual Monterey sale, they’ve got some amazing vehicles already confirmed.

Such as this 1939 Porsche Type 64. No pre-auction estimate has been listed, and if you’re seriously keen – advanced registration is required for bidding.

If you’ve never heard of the Type 64 before, we don’t blame you. It was built in 1939, born of a 1,500km road race from Berlin to Rome in order to promote Germany’s Autobahn system.

The government-owned Volkswagen Company commissioned three special long-distance racing versions of a new passenger car for the masses. The race car was known internally to Porsche as the Type 64, and was based on much of the Volkswagen Type 1’s underpinnings. The chassis and alloy body utilised WWII aircraft technology, and the air-cooled flat-four engine was tuned to 32bhp.

As the first vehicle was completed, just weeks before the Berlin-Rome race, The War was officially declared.

A young Ferry Porsche pushed forward with the two other racecars which would serve as test beds for Porsche in developing the Porsche 356.

The second car was completed in December 1939, and the third (using the chassis of the first car which had been damaged in an accident), by June 1940.

This Type 64 here, is that third car, and remains the only vehicle of the three that survived The War.

It was kept as a personal family car, driven extensively by Ferry and Ferdinand Porsche. Ferry Porsche applied the raised ‘Porsche’ letters himself when the car was registered in Austria under the new company name in 1946.

The car was restored in 1947, later sold to Austrian Privateer driver Otto Mathe in 1950, and kept the world’s first Porsche up until his death in 1995.

The car changed hands in 1997 for just the second time in 60 years.

This car provides the origin of the storied Porsche brand: without it, there would be no 356, no 550, no 911. The automotive world would be a very different place.

Today, the car presents in astoundingly original condition, as verified by Andy Prill, a well-respected Porsche specialist who stated: "After spending many days with the car, I have found evidence that all key components of the cars are original as built in 1939/1940. This is the most historically significant of all Porsche cars and it is simply incredible to find the very first Porsche in this original condition".

The sale in Monterey this august comes from the long-term care of just its fourth owner ever; and comes with many original spare parts as well as extensive period images and historic documentation.

It’s a hugely significant car that will surely draw fierce bidding from Porsche collectors, we’ll check back for the final price once the auction concludes.

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