1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 Coupe Chassis no. 123845 Engine no. 97236

1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 Coachwork by ReutterChassis no. 123845Engine no. 97236
1,966cc DOHC Flat 4-Cylinder EngineDual Solex 40PII-4 Downdraft Carburetors130bhp at 6,200rpm4-Speed Manual Transaxle4-Wheel Independent Suspension 4-Wheel Disc Brakes*Exquisite example of the top-of-the-line 356 Carrera*One of just 27 Carrera 2's built with factory sunroof*Exceptional restoration gaining a feature in Classic Porsche magazine*Factory press and promo car *Documented with a Kardex, and factory correspondenceTHE CARRERA 2Originally introduced at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 356 Carrera was the first edition of Porsche's long-running prestige performance car, featuring a special race-bred engine in development since 1952. Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann was tasked with determining just how much power the classic Porsche flat-four motor could develop, and in this pursuit he made some fundamental engineering adjustments over the basic pushrod engine. These modifications included the addition of twin ignition, two twin-throat carburetors, dry-sump lubrication, and dual-cam valve actuation.Tested at various races during development, the high-performance dual-cam engine was also evaluated by the Porsche staff in their personal 356 examples, even though the motor was originally positioned for use in the 550 Spyder racecars. Eventually determining that the 356-based road car was the most opportune platform for this Type 547/1 engine, Porsche used the Frankfurt show to debut the Carrera, which was named for the famously grueling Mexican road race at which Porsche had dominated the 2-liter class. Initially available in coupe, convertible, and Speedster body styles, the Carrera grew in luxury over the years, somewhat obscuring its original performance mandate.In September 1961 Porsche addressed this perception by introducing an updated version of the Carrera that was exclusively available as a coupe. The original dual-cam motor design was endowed with even more power by enlarging displacement to two liters, and reclassified as the Type 587/1, resulting in the fastest Porsche road car to date. Recognizing that the pure torque might be a handful for inexperienced customers, Porsche outfitted the new Carrera with disc brakes all around, and it was the first Porsche road car to be so equipped. Introduced for the 1962 model-year as the Carrera 2, the internally coded GS 2000 wore Reutter's twin rear-grille T-6 bodystyle, and could have been mistaken for a standard pushrod 356B were it not for the dual exhausts that emerged from a distinctive apron under the rear bumper valance. Approximately 310 examples of the Carrera 2 were made in total. Claiming rarity, unprecedented performance, and identity as the most developed generation of the 356-based Carrera, the Carrera 2 has grown to be one of the most desirable of the vintage Porsche road cars, a veritable cornerstone of the Stuttgart legend. THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDIt's said that "Every car has a story", but of course, some stories are more interesting than others. The handsome 1963 356B Carrera 2 Grand Sport offered here indeed has an unusual story in that for the first two years of its life, it was in the custody of Porsche's best-known story-teller, the late Baron Huschke von Hanstein. The Baron, a title he enjoyed due to his family's having been titled land-owners prior to WWII, had been a pretty good amateur racing driver in his youth, and after the war landed on his feet with a position at the fledgling company founded by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. Von Hanstein recognized the need for good marketing and with Porsche's full support, created an ambitious PR and racing program that would pay great dividends through the 1950s and 60s.As a management employee, the always colorful von Hanstein enjoyed access to virtually anything the company produced. After this well-equipped Carrera 2 coupe emerged from the assembly line on the first of April, 1963, it was assigned to the Works Press Office as a "Werkseigenerwagen". Von Hanstein almost enjoyed some time behind the steering wheel. A period photograph shows this car parked in the snow outside the factory, and another, in von Hanstein's biography by Tobias Aichele, shows the Count installing skis to what is almost certainly this car. This car's factory Kardex, or build data card, contains numerous hand-entered notes on maintenance performed at Zuffenhausen through 1965 and into 1966, with the odometer recording some 62,000 km. By that time the car had been sold to its first private owner, Kar Krafft & Söhn GmbH in Duren, Germany, where a Mr. Eberhard Hess used it for business travel. Hess soon noted that the factory engine consumed a lot of oil, so he returned it to the factory where a already-broken-in replacement was installed, thus resolving the matter. Alas, on one of his winter trips, Hess was involved in a crash on the A3 between Köln and Frankfurt. While he escaped injury, there was some front-end body damage, and after receiving an insurance settlement, Hess decided to sell the car. He'd only enjoyed it for a year. Documentation then grows thin, but around 1970 or so, it appears the Carrera passed through the hands of a Mr. Kurt Kosel in Krefeld. Around this time, the engine was overhauled by H&H Borgmann, an air-cooled specialist in Krefeld. It was eventually sold to a Mr. Haron of New York City. The sale included a spare two-liter four-cam engine, a set of steel 5.5" wheels, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel, which is perhaps the one adorning this car today. In 1978, this car returned to the UK, where it was inspected and issued a new MOT and registration papers. The Carrera may have spent some time in France before it came back to England and was placed in long-term storage. Around 1998, it finally came into the hands of noted UK Porsche specialist Roger Bray in Exeter. A lengthy restoration ensued, including the shell being placed into a rotisserie and stripped to bare metal, with rusted panels replaced as needed, after which the car was resprayed in its original Light Ivory paint. Mr. Bray took great pains to retain as much of this car's factory-installed parts and trim; the black leatherette and Pepita cloth interior with charcoal square-weave carpeting and black rubber floormats is entirely original. The engine, which appears to be the third such unit fitted to this car, was fully rebuilt by noted northern California Porsche racing shop owner Bob Garretson and is described as being in fine running order.When it was delivered, this Carrera 2 coupe was fitted with an optional Eberspacher gas-electric auxiliary heater and retractable sunroof, three-point seatbelts for driver and front-seat passenger, an exterior thermometer, and a clock mounted to the glove-box door. There is a Blaupunkt multi-band radio, speaker, and antenna, a pair of driving lights, and of course, the Carrera's signature rear exhaust apron. Soon after its completion, this car and its intriguing history enjoyed a six-page feature in the August, 2013, issue of Britain's "Classic Porsche" Magazine, and was soon after purchased by the current owner. It is supplied with a large file of receipts and literature; a correct spare wheel dated 8-62, what appears to be its original jack and a partial tool roll. This very rare and desirable Carrera 2 needs very little to prepare it for the show field, or can be enjoyed as is.