This 1963 Porsche 356B is one of approximately 310 Carrera 2 GS examples built on the T6 platform between 1962 and 1964 and is among 27 built with a retractable sunroof. Completed on April 1, 1963, the car was initially designated as a company car and is believed to have been driven by Porsche public relations manager Baron Huschke von Hanstein before being sold to its first private owner in the mid-1960s. After two changes of hand in Germany, it was sold to a New York owner in the 1970s, and at the end of the decade, moved to the UK, where it underwent a refurbishment between the late 1990s and 2000s. Following completion of the project, the car was featured on the cover of Classic Porsche magazine in 2013 and was later purchased by its current owner in California in 2018. Wearing a repaint in its factory shade of Light Ivory, it is powered by a replacement 1,966cc Type 587 four-cam flat-four that features a plain-bearing crankshaft, dry-sump lubrication, and dual-throat Solex carburetors. Additional equipment includes a four-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel annular disc brakes, Koni shock absorbers, a camber compensator, silver-painted 15” wheels, an Eberspacher gas heater, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and a Blaupunkt radio. This Carrera 2 sunroof coupe is now offered on dealer consignment with a copy of its Kardex, historical documentation, invoices, a tool kit, a battery charger, and a clean California title.
The Carrera variant was introduced in 1955 with power from a derivation of the four-cam engine designed by Dr. Ernst Furhmann for use in Porsche’s competition efforts. In 1957, the Carrera offerings were divided into the GT and GS, or de Luxe, models, with the latter more luxuriously equipped for comfortable road use. Launched in late 1961 on the T6 platform, the Carrera 2 brought about a further displacement increase to two liters as well as the first production use of Porsche’s annular disc brakes.
This example is said to have received a repaint in its original shade of Light Ivory during the refurbishment performed in the 2000s by Roger Bray Restoration in Exeter, UK. Various chips are noted on areas of the finish. Features include a retractable sunroof, body-color bumpers without guards, a driver-side mirror, a fender-mounted antenna, twin decklid grilles, and a rear apron through which dual exhaust outlets pass.
Silver-painted wheels wear Porsche-crest hubcaps and are wrapped in 185/70R15 Avon Radial tires, as is a matching spare secured in the front compartment. Annular disc brakes incorporate calipers positioned on the inner edge of the rotors allowing for a larger disc diameter. A replacement dual-circuit master cylinder was installed in 2016, and the brakes are said to have been adjusted in preparation for the sale.
The cabin houses a pair of bucket seats trimmed in black leatherette with Pepita cloth inserts, while black leatherette covers the fold-down rear seats and door panels. Additional features include charcoal square-weave carpeting, black rubber floor mats, front shoulder belts, a lockable glovebox, a passenger-side grab handle, and a Blaupunkt push-button radio. An Eberspacher gas heater is situated in the front compartment.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color dash fascia housing green-letter VDO instrumentation including an 8k-rpm tachometer, a 250-km/h speedometer, and a combination gauge monitoring oil temperature and fuel level. The five-digit odometer on this 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 Sunroof Coupe shows 27k kilometers (~17k miles), approximately 1k of which have been added under current ownership. Additional instruments include a MotoMeter outside/inside thermometer and a clock.
The Type 587/1 flat-four carried over the quad overhead camshafts, plain-bearing crankshaft, dry-sump lubrication, and dual-throat Solex carburetors of the previous version of Fuhrmanm’s powerplant, but featured a longer stroke for a displacement increase to 1,966cc. This example’s engine is a replacement that is said to have been overhauled during the refurbishment performed in the 2000s. The cam lobes were replaced in 2016, and the oil thermostat was replaced in 2019, while the dynamo was rebuilt in 2023. Work performed in preparation for the sale is said to have included adjustment of the carburetors and an oil change.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a dual-mount Type 741 four-speed manual transaxle.
The Kardex lists the original colors and describes the original handler as “Werkseigener Wagen,” or “factory-owned car,” and lists the first owner as “Presse.” Correspondence from Porsche Great Britain shown in the gallery below also notes that the car was originally owned by the factory.
