1939 Porsche Type 64

The 1939 Porsche Type 64 is widely regarded as the earliest direct ancestor of the Porsche sports car lineage. Built on the same rear-engine, air-cooled platform as the Volkswagen Type 1, it was commissioned in 1939 for a proposed 940-mile Berlin-to-Rome road race that never took place due to the outbreak of World War II. Only three examples were constructed, and just one survived the war intact.

Origins: The Berlin-Rome Race Car That Never Raced

In spring 1939, the National Socialist Motor Corps ordered Dr. Ferdinand Porsche to produce three streamlined Sport KdF-Wagen examples for the Berlin-Rome race, a showcase event planned for September of that year. The Type 64 shared its four-cylinder air-cooled engine and backbone chassis with the Volkswagen Beetle, but was clothed in a hand-formed aluminium body with a dramatically low drag coefficient. The sloped profile, rear-engine layout, and distinctive headlight treatment all foreshadow the 356 that would arrive a decade later. Porsche later used one of the surviving cars as a personal family vehicle, establishing a direct physical link between the Type 64 and the founding of the Porsche marque.

Design Details and Engineering

The Type 64's body was designed for minimum aerodynamic drag at the sustained high speeds required by the Berlin-Rome course. The wheel arches are smoothly integrated, the greenhouse is low and rounded, and there are no external door handles or unnecessary protrusions. The mechanical specification was deliberately conservative: the standard VW engine was tuned to around 32 hp, reliable enough for a 940-mile race rather than outright fast. This philosophy of efficiency over brute power would become a Porsche hallmark. The sloped tail, air-cooled engine in the rear, and the general silhouette are so reminiscent of the 356 and early 911 that the Type 64 reads as a prototype even viewed today.

Auction History and Collector Value

This surviving example passed through four owners before appearing at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction in 2019, where it was estimated at over $20 million. The sale became notable for a different reason: a miscommunication on the auctioneer's floor briefly showed $70 million on the bid board, generating widespread coverage. The car ultimately failed to meet its reserve and was withdrawn. Porsche AG has publicly stated that it does not consider the Type 64 the first Porsche, a position that adds nuance to the car's historical standing without diminishing its significance. Full auction context is covered by The Drive and Motor Sport Magazine.

Porsche Heritage at TheArsenale

The Type 64's story is a reminder that the best automotive designs carry their DNA across generations. For those who want to bring Porsche heritage into their space, TheArsenale offers the Porsche 928 Engine Coffee Table, the Nardone 928 Porsche restomod, and a wide selection of Porsche art prints, all part of the broader Cars collection.