Photo: RM Sotheby's
A 1962 APAL-Porsche 1600 GT Coupe is set to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Arizona at the end of January 2016. This particular vehicle is one of about 150 models built by APAL in Belgium.
If you are a Porsche collector or enthusiast, this car should probably not miss from your garage. The model has been built by Application Polyester Arme de Liege (APAL), and even if it looks like a different version of the Porsche 356 Abarth Carrera, it is in fact a lightweight coupe mounted atop a Volkswagen floorpan and with a lot of Porsche components underneath.
There are also some differences between these two, such as a longer wheelbase and the fact that the 1600 Coupe features only two seats. It’s much lighter than the 356 because of the fiberglass made body, while also having a lower center of gravity and a bigger interior space.
APAL's founder, Edmond Pery, is well known for building dune buggies and Speedster replicas, but between 1961 and 1965, his Belgian company built 150 examples of this coupe, of which 30 models were fitted with Porsche 356 engines, transaxles, brakes, wheels, seats, instruments and interior trim.
Because it weighed only 1,400 pounds, the Porsche-powered APAL-1600 GT recorded some impressive results in hill climb races or rallies, including the Liege-Sofia-Liege contest.
This particular car, chassis number 40172003, is powered by a Porsche 1,582 cc air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with dual Solex downdraft carburetors. It features a four-speed manual transmission, front and rear independent suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. The power delivered by the engine is of 60bhp. It might not sound very impressive, but because the car was very light, it resulted in a good power-to-weight ratio.
According to RM Sotheby’s, it is believed that the car offered in this auction participated in racing events in Germany, then was sold to an owner from South Carolina, before ending up in Porsche enthusiast Tom Trabue’s collection, where it has remained for 30 years.
This model is one of the only few known in the U.S. and has been first seen at the 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where it attracted a lot of attention.
There are also some differences between these two, such as a longer wheelbase and the fact that the 1600 Coupe features only two seats. It’s much lighter than the 356 because of the fiberglass made body, while also having a lower center of gravity and a bigger interior space.
APAL's founder, Edmond Pery, is well known for building dune buggies and Speedster replicas, but between 1961 and 1965, his Belgian company built 150 examples of this coupe, of which 30 models were fitted with Porsche 356 engines, transaxles, brakes, wheels, seats, instruments and interior trim.
Because it weighed only 1,400 pounds, the Porsche-powered APAL-1600 GT recorded some impressive results in hill climb races or rallies, including the Liege-Sofia-Liege contest.
This particular car, chassis number 40172003, is powered by a Porsche 1,582 cc air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with dual Solex downdraft carburetors. It features a four-speed manual transmission, front and rear independent suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. The power delivered by the engine is of 60bhp. It might not sound very impressive, but because the car was very light, it resulted in a good power-to-weight ratio.
According to RM Sotheby’s, it is believed that the car offered in this auction participated in racing events in Germany, then was sold to an owner from South Carolina, before ending up in Porsche enthusiast Tom Trabue’s collection, where it has remained for 30 years.
This model is one of the only few known in the U.S. and has been first seen at the 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where it attracted a lot of attention.
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