PORSCHE 356B CARRERA 2 GS CABRIOLET
Introduced at the 1955 Frankfurt motor show, the 356 Carrera featured a special race-bred engine with dual-cam valve actuation, twin distributor ignition, two twin-choke carburettors, and dry sump lubrication. The fastest and most expensive Porsche road car of its day, the 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet cost about $6200, 50 per cent more than the pushrod-engine model, and only about 64 are believed to have been made for 1963 and 1964.
This April 1963 example left the Porsche factory painted in Signal Red over black leather and a black soft top. Its first owner was a firm named Hallreiter & Vieten, in Germany. The present seller purchased the car, stripped to bare metal and refinished by the previous (fourth) owner, in April 1989, by which time the original engine had been replaced, albeit with a correct type 587/1. This prompted the owner to research and locate the original, numbers matching engine, which was found in Belgium. It was purchased, and then rebuilt by specialist Armin Baumann before being mounted on an engine stand and kept on display with the car. It was reinstalled into the car in April of 2017, returning the car to its numbers matching configuration.
The Porsche was sent to 356 Specialist Hapke Original Restauration in Leverkusen, Germany, to receive mechanical attention, where all major components in need of maintenance were either refurbished or replaced. Invoices outline work including including front suspension and steering replacement parts, rear axle shafts and front kingpin replacement, new oil lines, and replacement of a number of ancillary mechanical components.
Sold after 30 years of single ownership, this particular 356 Carrera 2 Cabriolet came with little more than 100,000km (62,500 miles) on the clock and presents in thoroughly stunning condition with absolutely no deviation from its original specification. The leather interior, square-weave carpeting, floor mats and soft-top remain original and untouched after years of meticulous maintenance. The car even wears original trim and brightwork. Documented with the original German "Pappbrief" registration, photos of the 1986 repaint and the installation of its original engine, this beautiful Carrera 2 abounds in classic details like the original wood-rimmed steering wheel, teardrop tail lamps, chrome wheels with Stuttgart-badged centre caps, and the distinguishing rear exhaust apron.