Estimated Price: £350,000 - £400,000

The Porsche 356 occupies a unique position in the history of the Stuttgart marque, but for many enthusiasts and collectors it is the rare and technically fascinating Carrera models that represent the ultimate expression of Ferry Porsche's original sports car. Offered here is an exceptionally rare and historically significant 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 Sunroof Coupé, one of approximately 310 Carrera 2 examples produced on the T6 platform and believed to be one of just 27 specified from new with the desirable factory sliding steel sunroof.

Introduced for the 1962 model-year, the Carrera 2 marked the final and most sophisticated evolution of Porsche's celebrated four-cam road cars. The Carrera name had first appeared in 1955, inspired by Porsche's success in the legendary Carrera Panamericana road race, whilst at its heart was Dr Ernst Fuhrmann's remarkable four-cam flat-four engine, originally developed for competition in the 550 Spyder and widely regarded as one of the most advanced production engines of its era.

Displacement increased to 1,966cc for the Carrera 2, producing around 130bhp and making it the fastest production Porsche available. Featuring twin overhead camshafts, dry-sump lubrication, dual-throat Solex carburettors and a plain-bearing crankshaft, the Type 587/1 engine transformed the already accomplished 356 into a genuinely high-performance GT. Recognising its increased capability, Porsche also equipped the Carrera 2 with four-wheel ATE annular disc brakes, making it the first production Porsche road car to feature disc brakes as standard.

Completed on 1st April 1963, chassis #123845 was never intended to be an ordinary customer car. Its accompanying Kardex records it as a 'Werkseigener Wagen' – a factory-owned vehicle – with its first designation simply listed as 'Presse'. It therefore served as one of Porsche's official factory press and demonstrator cars during one of the most significant periods in the company's history.

Its custodian is understood to have been the legendary Baron Huschke von Hanstein. Born into a family of titled landowners, von Hanstein enjoyed success as an amateur racing driver before joining Dr Ferdinand Porsche in the immediate post-war years. Recognising the value of motorsport as a marketing tool, he established Porsche's ambitious competition and public relations programmes throughout the 1950s and 1960s, playing an instrumental role in building the marque's worldwide reputation. As racing director, press director and head of public relations, he had access to virtually every important Porsche produced and is believed to have personally driven this very Carrera. Period photographs show the car outside the Zuffenhausen factory, whilst images published in Tobias Aichele's biography of von Hanstein are understood to depict him fitting skis to what is believed to be this very motor car.

Appropriately for a factory demonstrator, the Carrera was generously specified from new. Alongside its rare sliding steel sunroof, it was equipped with an Eberspächer auxiliary heater, Blaupunkt multi-band radio, clock, external thermometer and numerous comfort features befitting Porsche's flagship model. Our vendor has confirmed that the front three-point seat belts were added during his ownership.

The Kardex records continued factory maintenance through 1965 and into 1966, by which time the car had covered approximately 62,000 kilometres. It was then sold to its first private owner, Kar Krafft & Söhn GmbH of Düren, Germany, where it was used by Mr Eberhard Hess for business travel.

Correspondence retained within the history file reveals that Mr Hess became concerned by excessive oil consumption from the original engine. The car was returned to Porsche, who supplied and installed an already run-in replacement engine, numbered P97004, successfully rectifying the issue. The accompanying history file indicates that this replacement unit had previously been fitted to the personal car of Dr Ernst Fuhrmann, the brilliant engineer responsible for Porsche's legendary four-cam engine and later chairman of Porsche AG between 1972 and 1980. Mr Hess later commented that selling the Carrera after just a year of ownership was one of his great motoring regrets.

Following further ownership in Germany, including a period with enthusiast Kurt Kosel, the Carrera eventually found its way to New York during the 1970s before returning to the UK towards the end of that decade. After a period in storage, it was entrusted to renowned Porsche specialist, Roger Bray in Exeter, for what became an extensive, years-long restoration.

The body shell was stripped to bare metal, mounted on a rotisserie and meticulously restored before being refinished in its original factory shade of Light Ivory, exactly as recorded on the Kardex. Particular care was taken to preserve as much of the car's original character as possible, including the distinctive black leatherette and Pepita cloth interior. During the restoration, the car received the Type 587 four-cam engine it retains today, comprehensively rebuilt by renowned Californian Porsche specialist Bob Garretson before installation. Run in carefully by our vendor post purchase, never raced and allowed to get hot before pushing, it has subsequently been maintained by recognised four-cam experts, with more recent work including replacement camshafts and cam lobes by Prill Porsche Specialists, replacement of the oil thermostat and continued servicing. JAZ Porsche carried out a cold leak-down test in 2023, recording less than 15% leakage across all four cylinders. The vendor advises that the car has covered fewer than 3,000 miles since completion of the restoration and installation of the Garretson-built engine.

The quality of Roger Bray's painstaking restoration and the extraordinary history of #123845 were recognised in August 2013 when the car featured on the front cover of Classic Porsche magazine under the headline 'Best of the Best – Porsche Press Car Resto', accompanied by a six-page feature documenting both the restoration and the car's remarkable factory provenance.

Today this extraordinary Carrera 2 is offered complete with its Kardex, factory correspondence, extensive history file, restoration and maintenance invoices, magazine features, factory tool kit, jack and associated accessories. It is worth noting that correct Porsche Type 587 four-cam Carrera engines have, in recent years, achieved prices in excess of $220,000 when offered separately, underlining the desirability of these remarkable powerplants. Combining exceptional rarity, documented factory provenance, direct links to two of Porsche's most influential figures and one of the most charismatic and technically significant engines ever installed in a road-going Porsche, this outstanding Carrera 2 Sunroof Coupé represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire one of the finest and most historically important examples of the legendary Porsche 356.