At the end of the 1950s, Porsche was fully committed to its Grand Prix program and needed outside input to keep its aging GT Carreras competitive in sports car races. Porsche enlisted the help of Carlo Abarth, who hired designer Franco Scaglione and small carrozzeria Viarenzo & Filliponi to build a new body for its GT racing cars.

Ferry Porsche and Carlo Abarth first collaborated on a project for Cisitalia in 1946. Mutual respect quickly turned into a bond of true friendship. When the opportunity arose for Porsche to build a new dedicated race model on a 356B chassis, Porsche decided to contact his old friend to execute the intricate aluminum body.

Only twenty-one (or possibly 20) examples of the Abarth Carrera were ever built but they were instantly dominant in class racing. In fact, in the first race for the model at the famed and extremely challenging Targa Florio, a class win was achieved.

This particular car had a similar history. The original Swiss owner won every race he entered with the car. As a result of such a show of might, race politics of the time forced him to abandon the track after only a year. As a result, the car was barely used and stands today as the finest original example of this revered model. With only 13,000 kilometers, it is completely original except for a single repaint in the early (approximately) 1980s.

This car, chassis number 1008, is the 8th 1961 Porsche Abarth Carrera GTL. This is a proper Werks racecar, used by the Porsche factory and their Swedish agent Scania-Bilar, to promote the marque in Scandinavia. Carl-Gunnar Hammarlund also known as 'CeGe,' won two Swedish championships in this car. CeGe was well known for his Swedish Public Radio program about driving safety and his public relations work for the Swedish arm of British Petroleum.

Hammerlund won two Swedish GT Championships with 11 victories in 11 starts, after which he retired. Subsequent owners were Steve Tillack and Lorenzo Zambrano. It was the acquired by the current caretakers.

Chassis number 1008 is believed to be the most original Abarth surviving with only 6,000 original miles. The aluminum body was repainted in 1998; otherwise, every detail on the car is original and as raced in 1961. Beyond being one of Porsche's most beautiful race cars, chassis #1008 won every race it ever participated in during its two year campaign. Most notably, it took top honors at the Finnish Grand Prix.

This car has never been crashed during its entire racing career and it is believed to be the most original Carrera Abarth GTL in existence, having only covered 10,450 miles.