Save $300,000 on a Rare Porsche 356 Carrera 2 GS Cabriolet
My go-to sites for air-cooled Porsche sales over the past year have been Bring-a-Trailer and PCarMarket, but I decided to take a look at eBay and was surprised to find this “deal” being offered. An extremely rare 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2GS Cabriolet is being offered at a Buy it Now price $300,000 less than the showroom price of $1,599,900. Daniel Schmitt & Co in St Louis, Missouri is offering this extremely rare and coveted Porsche 356 at a Buy it Now price of $1,299,900.
This Porsche 356B Carrera 2 GS Cabriolet features a numbers matching 587/1 Carrera engine and numbers matching gearbox with original body panels and floor pans and owner history since new. A concours level restoration has just been completed on this one of 22 models built in 1963. Only two were finished in signal red over black leather.
Carrera powered 356 Cabriolets are seldom offered for sale so this is a unique offering to appear on eBay. An rare, expensive offering of this quality would normally be seen at one of the premier auction houses such as RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams or Gooding & Co as opposed to eBay.
The Carrera engine is what makes this model so unique. Here is the history of the 356B Carrera 2 GS as recounted in the eBay listing:
The legendary 4-cam “Carrera” 4-cylinder Porsche engine was first developed for Porsche racecars by engineer Ernst Fuhrmann in the summer of 1952, at the request of Ferry Porsche who specified that it must be based on the existing 4-cylinder “boxer” layout.
The goal was to create a high revving engine that could be used for competitive driving by the 1953 season. The result was the type 547 engine with four camshafts, each shaft driven, that displaced 1.5 liters and could rev to 7000RPM. It was not long before this engine proved to be a racing success. It powered several 550 Spyders to victory with a 1.5-liter class win at the 1954 Mille Miglia and another class win at Le Mans in 1953. However, it was the victory at the Carrera Panamericana that cemented the 4-cam as the “Carrera” engine.
The new Carrera engine soon made its way into the Porsche 356 by 1955 and gave the most discerning drivers a whole new way to enjoy their Porsche though its significant cost meant that it was only purchased by the very affluent. The first 356 Carreras were capable of 120mph, a feat that made them the fastest 1.5-liter production car in the world and a fierce competitor among the racing circuits.
Within a few years the level of performance offered by competitors began to catch up and thus further refinement of the Carrera/Fuhrmann engine was needed. To increase power they had to increase the size that resulted in the type 587 engine. Displacing 1,966cc’s the new engine saw its debut at the 1961 Frankfurt Auto Show with a 356 wearing a “Carrera 2” Script. The 356B Carrera 2 (also known as the Carrera 2000) was capable of 125mph and acceleration improved dramatically; a full 6 full seconds were shaved off of its 0-100mph time compared to its 1.5 liter predecessor. Costing $7,995 when new, a full $2,900 more than the pushrod equipped Super 90, the Carrera 2 was also the first Porsche production 356 to feature four wheel disc brakes for additional stopping power.
The performance of the Carrera 2 is perhaps enjoyed best in convertible form with speedsters and cabriolets proving to be the most desirable models for high speed touring in the European countryside. It should come as no surprise that very few models were built; only 67 356B Carrera cabriolets were assembled between 1960 and 1963. Today examples remain highly coveted by Porsche collectors, with original numbers matching examples extremely few and far between.
This Porsche 356 is the perfect storm of desirability for a highly coveted Porsche 356 for high-end Porsche collectors:
· Carrera 2 Engine
· Numbers matching engine and transmission
· Original body panels and floor pan
· Cabriolet model
· Known history since new
· Concours level restoration by a renowned 356 shop
· Full documentation from new comes with the car
I would be surprised to see this Porsche 356 Carrera 2 sell on eBay but I suspect Daniel Schmitt & Co is just using the listing as a marketing tool to gain exposure so buyers contact them for a personalized one-on-one sale.
But, with a $300,000 discount, now is the time to buy that special Porsche friend a great Christmas gift.
eBay Listing for the 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 GS Cabriolet: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-Porsche-356-B-Carrera-2-GS-Cabriolet-Concours-restoration/393060017176?hash=item5b8433e418:g:1EMAAOSwyhNdH63K
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