1960 Beutler 356B Coupe

Coupe
Chassis number: 13031
Engine number: 85172

The Swiss firm of Beutler introduced the four-passenger coupe based on the Porsche Model 356A at the 1957 Geneva Auto Salon. The bodywork, which is all aluminum, was all Porsche design at the front end while, the side and rear shapes were designed by the brothers, Ernst and Fritz Beutler. With Porsche running gear, brakes, and engine (a modified Super 90), the two-door coupe was intended to appear to drivers who needed more room than the standard 356 coupe. These were built on special order from 1957 to 1962 and this particular car was bought by Hubert Brundage (Brumos Porsche) of Jacksonville, FL. The Beutler brothers built less than 20 cars over the five-year period and only four 356Bs remain, of which this is one. This is the 1960 Geneva Show car.

This example was prepared by the factory in November of 1959 and then shipped to Beutler's facility in Switzerland. It has a white exterior with a blue roof and red interior. This car's first recorded owner was Hubert Brundage (the founder of the Brumos Porsche dealership) of Jacksonville, Florida, who acquired the car by September 1960. The car's next owner was Thomas Wilson of Columbia, Tennessee who purchased it in July of 1962. Mr. Wilson sold it in 1988 to Tommy Trabue and Jim Watson. Mr. Trabue acquired the complete interest in the car in 2016.

This car was shown at the 2007 Americal Island Concours d'Elegance where it received the RM Restoration Award for best unrestored car. That same year, the car was involved in a garage fire that blistered the paintwork and smoke-damaged the interior. The car was then given a meticulous restoration by spirit of Excellence in Lewisburg, Tennessee, with final finishing and mechanical fettling by Sanders Imports of Marietta, South Carolina.

This car is powered by a 1,582cc overhead valve air-cooled flat 4-cylinder engine fitted with twin Zenith carburetors and delivering 75 horsepower at 5,500 RPM. There is a four-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, and an independent suspension with Torsion bars.

During the late 1940's and early 1950's, the Beutler brothers, highly skilled coachbuilders, were responsible for aiding in the production of the Porsche 356 Cabriolets. Carrosserie Gebrüder Beutler was established in 1943 by brothers Ernst and Fritz Beutler in Thun, Switzerland. Their involvement with Porsche includes building the prototype 356 Cabriolet, in a similar fashion to the coupe design by Erwin Komenda.

The four-passenger coupe by Beutler had been introduced in 1957 at the Geneva Motor Show. It used Porsche 356 A running gear with a unique appearance that included a long hood and a nearly horizontal deck lid. This was followed from late 1958 onwards by a second series car based on the revised 356 B. Its appearance was more in line with the Porsche, including the use of the 356 B door handles, bumpers, hood handle, and brake lights.

The Buetler brothers (Ernst, Fritz, Herr, and Gebruder) were tasked by Porsche with designing the body. Stipulations were placed on the design mainly that it had to be recognizably Porsche. The vehicle used Porche 356B brake lights, door handles, bumpers, and hood handle. Using a 356B chassis, two prototypes were built in November of 1959. Ferry Porsche approved the design. However, only five (possibly six) Beutler-Porsches 356B's were constructed due to disagreements between the Brothers and Ferry. The brothers were used to dealing directly with the customer while Ferry wanted the distribution to go through the Porsche network. A compromise could not be found and Porsche stopped supplying the Beutler brothers with chassis. The remaining production was entrusted to Carrosserie Reutter.

The Buetler brother's contribution to the Porsche marque legacy is significant, undeniably, and often overlooked. Many have wondered what direction the company might have taken if the Brother's contribution would have continued.

by Dan Vaughan