To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Arizona
event, 17 - 18 January 2019.
Estimate:
$150,000 - $180,000
- A very collectable early short-wheelbase 911
- Retains its numbers-matching engine
- Long-term single-family ownership
- Highly authentic example with its original interior
- Kardex and Porsche Production Specifications certificate
The Porsche 356 enjoyed a decade-plus of production, but by 1959
the company knew it needed an updated replacement. The new design
had a longer wheelbase, more interior space, and more power and
amenities. At Ferdinand Porsche's insistence, this new coupe would
retain the fast-back styling of the 356 but be powered by a modern
six-cylinder overhead-cam air-cooled engine. A non-running mock-up
of the new design, initially designated as the Type 901, first saw
the light of day in September 1963, at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
A running demonstration model was shown in early 1964 and actual
production started after the annual August break. The car was
powered by a new two-liter, dry-sumped, air-cooled flat six which
developed 130 hp at 6,100 rpm. Combined with a new five-speed
manual transaxle, the relatively light sports car could achieve a
0-60 time of less than nine seconds and a top speed of about 130
mph, a marked improvement over its predecessor. A small number of
the new coupes were completed by the end of 1964, but the model
number was changed to "911" beginning in 1965 to mollify French
automaker Peugeot, which claimed trademark rights to model
designators containing a "Zero" as the middle digit. Thus the 911
entered the pantheon of immortal car designs.
According to a copy of its original factory Kardex, this 911 coupe
was completed on the last day of August 1965, making it one of the
last built before the factory's annual late-summer model-year
changeover. Originally Slate Gray over a red leatherette interior,
it was fitted with U.S.-specification road equipment and optioned
with a Webasto gasoline heater and fitted with Phoenix tires. The
consignor states that he purchased the car in early 2017 from a
Virginia family that believed to have acquired the car from new; it
was passed from father to son and then to the son's surviving
spouse. The consignor adds that all the body panels appear to be
numbers matching, and all the trim is original.
This car was fitted with front-seat headrests and a radio/antenna
package, accessories commonly fitted after delivery to thwart
dockside theft, a common problem in those days. Although this
example has not been restored as such, it was repainted in Silver
Metallic in the 1980s. It retains its original leatherette interior
with three-point seatbelts, highlighted by a wood-rimmed steering
wheel, and the handsome wood-veneer dashboard trim housing VDO
instrumentation. A set of desirable Fuchs forged alloy wheels
conceal the four-wheel disc brakes. A new set of Vredestein Sprint
Classic tires has also been fitted. The odometer read 1,399 miles
at the time of cataloguing, and it is likely that it has begun a
second rotation. This 911 is supplied with its original owner's
manual, spare parts catalogue, workshop manual, jack and hazard
kit, as well as an extra hood badge, copy of the factory Kardex,
and Porsche Production Specifications certificate.
Arguably one of the most iconic cars in the world, the Porsche 911
has captured the hearts of automotive enthusiasts for years. This
car, a stunning, first-generation, short-wheelbase 911 is a very
sought-after model among Porsche collectors. Remaining very much in
the way it left the factory in 1965, save for an older repaint,
this highly original 911 is ready to be enjoyed by new
ownership.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az19.
