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Ferdinand Porsche’s 1939 Type 64 Up for Sale as Amazing Piece of Auto History

To date, there's no real consensus on what was the first ever car created by German carmaker Porsche. The company itself considers the starting point 1948 356, but of course, Ferdinand Porsche did not sit on his hands before that model was launched.
1939 Porsche Type 64 22 photos
Photo: Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
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Right before the Second World War broke out in 1939, the German engineer built the Type 64, a machine meant to take on the 1,500 km (932 miles) race between Berlin and Rome. For most, it is this car that is the first true Porsche.

Between 1939 and 1940, there were three version s of the Type 64 built, equipped with air-cooled flat-four engines that developed 32 hp. The war destroyed two of them.

Only one survived, the third to have ever been built. It is the car that Ferdinand Porsche himself kept as a personal family car for a number of years and it is this car that is now up for sale part of an RM Sotheby auction that will take place in Monterey, California in August.

The car to be auctioned was purchased in the late 1940s by Austrian race driver Otto Mathé, who used it to race in a variety of local competitions at that time. Decades later, in 1997, it was purchased by another Austrian, Porsche specialist Thomas Gruber, who used it at vintage racing events like Goodwood and the Austrian Ennstal Classic.

The car’s current owner, the fourth in the vehicle's 80-years life, is selling it complete with original spare parts, as well as extensive period images, historical documentation and a few imperfections. No starting price has been announced.

“This is Porsche’s origin story, the car that birthed the company’s legend, and it offers collectors what is likely an unrepeatable opportunity to sit in the seat of Ferdinand and Ferry Porsche,” said in a statement Marcus Görig, RM Sotheby’s car specialist.

“With this car, the new owner will not only be invited to the first row of every Porsche event worldwide—they will be the first row!”

Full details on the 1939 Porsche Type 64 can be found in the document attached below.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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