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Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche used this Type 64, chassis number 38/41, during the war as he traveled around Germany where he was often chauffeured by his driver, Josef Goldinger. When Dr. Porsche's workshop was moved to Gmünd, Austria to avoid the Allied bombing campaign, the Type 64 moved with it.
After World War II, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was imprisoned by French authorities and his son, Ferrary Porsche, assumed control of the company and the use of the Type 64. In 1949, Porsche sold the Type 64 to a well-known Austrian private racing driver and lubricant producer named Otto Mathe. An accident in 1934 left Mr. Mathe without the use of his right arm. To accommodate shifting the Type 64 with his left hand, the privateer converted the Porsche to right-hand drive. The engine's displacement was also increased to allow him to race in the 1,100cc class. Additional modifications and tuning followed, including the replacement of the Volkswagen-based cable-braking components with a hydraulic system sourced from a Fiat.
The car was raced in 1949 in a two-day rally of 800 miles called the Austrian Alpenfahrt. The car retired early but returned the following year where it won its class. Mathe returned in 1951 but was less successful, prompting him to install a 1.3-liter engine in 1952. The larger engine led to several impressive finished during the 1952 season, including the Strassenrennen and the Gmündner-Berg-Rennen. During the 1952 season, Mathe earned 22 victories.
From 1953, Mathe turned his attention to a Carrera-powered special called the Fetzenflieger. The Type 64 received some restoration work before being put on display in Mathe's personal museum at Innsbruck. Over the years, the Porsche Company attempted to buy back the Type 64 for heritage purposes, but Mathe never sold the car. It would remain in his ownership for over four decades. In 1983 it was brought to Monterey for exhibition at Pebble Beach and a run with the Porsche Parade at Laguna Seca.
Mathe passed away in 1995, and after two years of estate settlement, the car passed into the care of its second private owner, Dr. Thomas Gruber of Vienna. Dr. Gruber commissioned a sympathetic restoration that stressed originality, and the aged finish was gently preserved with all its shades of original silver accented with hues of blue and green patina. With the work complete and the mechanicals refreshed, the car participated in the Austrian Ennstal Classic in 1999 and 2001, the Kaiserstrasse and Kottingbrunn rallies in 1999, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1998 and 2003.
The current German owner acquired the car in 2008. In August of 2019, the car was brought to auction in Monterey, California where it achieved a high bid - albeit with some controversy - for $17 million, which was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. It was left unsold.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2019
After World War II, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was imprisoned by French authorities and his son, Ferrary Porsche, assumed control of the company and the use of the Type 64. In 1949, Porsche sold the Type 64 to a well-known Austrian private racing driver and lubricant producer named Otto Mathe. An accident in 1934 left Mr. Mathe without the use of his right arm. To accommodate shifting the Type 64 with his left hand, the privateer converted the Porsche to right-hand drive. The engine's displacement was also increased to allow him to race in the 1,100cc class. Additional modifications and tuning followed, including the replacement of the Volkswagen-based cable-braking components with a hydraulic system sourced from a Fiat.
The car was raced in 1949 in a two-day rally of 800 miles called the Austrian Alpenfahrt. The car retired early but returned the following year where it won its class. Mathe returned in 1951 but was less successful, prompting him to install a 1.3-liter engine in 1952. The larger engine led to several impressive finished during the 1952 season, including the Strassenrennen and the Gmündner-Berg-Rennen. During the 1952 season, Mathe earned 22 victories.
From 1953, Mathe turned his attention to a Carrera-powered special called the Fetzenflieger. The Type 64 received some restoration work before being put on display in Mathe's personal museum at Innsbruck. Over the years, the Porsche Company attempted to buy back the Type 64 for heritage purposes, but Mathe never sold the car. It would remain in his ownership for over four decades. In 1983 it was brought to Monterey for exhibition at Pebble Beach and a run with the Porsche Parade at Laguna Seca.
Mathe passed away in 1995, and after two years of estate settlement, the car passed into the care of its second private owner, Dr. Thomas Gruber of Vienna. Dr. Gruber commissioned a sympathetic restoration that stressed originality, and the aged finish was gently preserved with all its shades of original silver accented with hues of blue and green patina. With the work complete and the mechanicals refreshed, the car participated in the Austrian Ennstal Classic in 1999 and 2001, the Kaiserstrasse and Kottingbrunn rallies in 1999, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1998 and 2003.
The current German owner acquired the car in 2008. In August of 2019, the car was brought to auction in Monterey, California where it achieved a high bid - albeit with some controversy - for $17 million, which was not enough to satisfy the car's reserve. It was left unsold.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2019
2019 RM Sothebys : Monterey
High Bid (Lot was not sold)
USD $17,000,000
Recent Sales of the Porsche Type 64
(Data based on Model Year 1939 sales)
Porsche Type 64s That Failed To Sell At Auction
1939 Porsche Type 64's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
| Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 Porsche Type 64 | 38/41 | 2019 RM Sothebys : Monterey | $17,000,000 |
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1939 Porsche Type 64
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