The oldest and most unique Porsche in the world

In August 2019, the world’s oldest surviving Porsche (and the only one of its kind) was put up for auction in Monterey, organized by RM Sotheby’s. It was expected to fetch at least $20 million, making it the most expensive Porsche ever.

This is the legendary car – the Porsche 64, used in the gorgeous 1971 film Le Mans with the inimitable Steve McQueen, which sold for $17 million US in 2017. But the car failed to sell, even for the same 17 million.

The Porsche 64, was designed by Ferdinand Porsche for a 1,500-kilometer race between Berlin and Rome, scheduled for September 1939. It was based on the Porsche-designed Volkswagen Beetle – then known as the KdF Wagen – but featured a streamlined aluminum body and a boosted 985 cc four-cylinder engine producing 50 hp. The race never took place. Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, and the Type 64 project was effectively cancelled. One car was built, which became the property of the German government.

Ferdinand’s son Ferry built two more examples of the Porsche 64. Chassis #2 was completed in December 1939, and chassis #3 was completed the following June. Type 64 #3 actually used the remains of the first car, which was crashed by the managing director of Volkswagen. While Type 64 #2 did not survive the war, chassis #3 did and was retained by the Porsche family when they moved to Austria. Ferry Porsche put the company name on the front of the car, registered it in 1946, and Battista “Pinin” Farina, who later founded the design house Pininfarina, revived it in 1947.

The 1939 Porsche 64 #3 is the most historically significant of all Porsches and is offered in its original condition. It has only had 4 owners and even some original spare parts were included in the auction. You can find out more about this incredible vehicle on Road & Track and also the original RM Sotheby’s press release, where you can see many more photos.