1954 Porsche Glockler 356 Carrera 1500

When World War II came to a close, the Porsche family and organization struggled to build Porsche cars in Austria's completely disrupted economy without hard currency or reliable sources of supply. Porsche soon moved its operation from the sawmill at Gmund to Salzburg and then back to its factory in the Stuttgart suburb of Zuffenhausen, Germany, where it re-established its design relationship with Volkswagen. Complications were numerous, including the American army occupying Germany and the beginning of the war in Korea.

Although commercial production was paramount, the company's draw towards motorsport was relentless, often at the initiative and enthusiasm of individual clients who kept entering their Porsches in races. One of those individuals was Walter Glöckler, a Frankfurt, Germany-based Volkswagen and Porsche dealer from the very early days. Prior to World War II, he was a motorcycle racer. Later, Glöckler and engineer Hermann Ramelow constructed a series of racing specials beginning in the late 1940s. The first example was devoid of Porsche components, but this soon changed as Glöckler recognized the value of Porsche's engineering.

Hermann Ramelow had worked on the prewar Alder sports cars, and in 1948 he created a mid-engined Hanomag-powered racing special for Glockler. Two years later, Ramelow and Glockler adopted the newly available L1-liter Porsche engine, placed midship in a tube-frame chassis with a central driving position, a rear suspension reversed as on the original Porsche 356 roadster, and lightweight aluminum bodywork by C.H. Weidenhausen of Frankfurt. The under-50 horsepower Glocker weighed less than 1,000 pounds and it proved to be a capable racecar, winning the 1950 German 1,100cc sports-car championship. Its competitiveness continued into 1951 as its Porsche engine was converted to run on alcohol, boosting output to 62 horsepower.

The quality of the Glockler-built Porsches and their success soon gained recognition from Porsche, and collaboration was begun where Glockler agreed to badge his cars as Porsche to bring publicity to the company. In return, Porsche assisted with the latest engine and mechanical developments.

For the 1951 season, Glockler and Ramelow used the latest 1,500cc Porsche engine tuned to run on alcohol due to the performance gains, engine cooling, and the erratic quality of gasoline in postwar Germany. It was lightweight and streamlined with even a full belly pan and rode on magnesium alloy wheels with integral brake drums made by Alex von Falkenhausen.

Glockler would set 1,500 cc international speed records at Montlhery in September 1951 at distances up to six hours, covering 1,104 km at an average speed of 184.11 kph (114.35 mph). The racing special was later acquired by the U.S. importer, Max Hoffman, who raced it in Florida during the winter of 1951 and 1952, winning his class and placing second overall in a one-hour race at Vero Beach in March of 1952. He later won at Thompson in Connecticut and finished second in the Mecox Trophy race at Bridgehampton on Long Island.

The third Glocker-Porsche used the standard Porsche rear-engined layout with the rear suspension in its trailing-arm configuration. It was based on a standard Porsche cabriolet floorpan and endowed with Ramelow's lightening modifications, removing non-essential materials, and powered by a 1,488cc Porsche engine with high compression and tuned to run on alcohol. The aluminum body was created by Weidenhausen with a nose that bore a close resemblance to the 356 Porsche but had semi-skirted rear wheels and cutaway rear corners similar to the first two Glockler-Porsche vehicles. There were two lightweight bucket seats in a traditional side-by-side layout.

Below the floorpan was a full belly pan and there was an air intake low on the nose for an oil cooler. Cool air was funneled to the front brakes via small air intakes located on each side of the nose. It had a removable coupe roof, a low and flush-fitting windshield integrated with the body, side windows, and rear glass.

Driving duties were assigned to Walter Glocker's cousin, Helm, who won his class and set a new class record in the spring of 1952 race at the Nurburgring, going on to win the 1952 German Championship. Hans Stanek raced it in hill climbs before selling it to Max Hoffman to race in the U.S. Hoffman brought it to Bridgehampton on Long Island in May of 1953 and assigned driving duties to Johnny Von Neuman, the soon-to-be successful Porsche distributor on the West Coast. Von Neuman finished third in the 1,500 cc class. Glockler-Porsche number 3 was later sold to Fred Proctor, Jr. of Connecticut who continued to expand upon its racing resume during the early 1950s.

Sixth and Final Glöckler-Porsche

The sixth Porsche-based car built by Glockler was also the sole example built as a coupe. It was based on an original 1954 356 Pre-A chassis (chassis number 12213) and power was sourced from a very early example of the Ernst Fuhrmann-designed four-cam 'vertical shaft' flat-four backed by a four-speed gearbox. Frankfurt's C.H. Weidenhausen, who built the first two Porsche 550 RS Prototypes, created the aluminum bodywork to a very unusual design, with nearly vertical headlamps, a low-mounted central light, tailfins, and a unique roofline. The large, split backlight provided nearly panoramic views, while roof cut-outs for the doors ease entry and exit while wearing a helmet.

This Glockler-Porsche was designed to compete at the Mille Miglia in 1954 but it was not completed in time, instead, it made its inaugural racing debut at that year's Liège–Rome–Liège road rally. Walter Glöckler's cousin, Helm Glöckler, and Max Nathan piloted the car and despite oil supply issues that forced a technical retirement, the duo is said to have driven the coupe across the finish line.

After the race, the car was sent to the Porsche factory before it was exported to the United States and acquired by Tom Shipman. Around the 1970s, the car was in the care of Rudi Klein of Los Angeles. In 1993, a Frankfurt-based Lufthansa employee named Hans Heffels became its next caretaker. At the time, the car was in need of a major overhaul, but Heffel was unable to take on the monumental task, so it remained in a disassembled state. It was in this guise that German Porsche collector Hans Georg Frers received the vehicle when he purchased it in 2005. A comprehensive restoration soon followed, with the bodywork assigned to Ulrich Weinberg of Zetel, Germany.

At some point in the car's past, the original engine was replaced by a 1.5-liter four-cam unit numbered P90016, which was originally installed in Porsche 550 Spyder chassis number 550-0026. The engine's rebuild was performed by Armin Baumann of Switzerland.

In 2016, the car was acquired by its current caretaker.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021