Time capsule 356A powered by a rare piece of Porsche engineering

1959 Porsche 356A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupe by Colin Wood
Oct 3, 2024

What makes this Porsche 356A more desirable than most? No, it’s not the patina or the numbers-matching coachwork or even that it’s fresh out of nearly 50 years of storage.

Instead, it’s what is on the inside that makes this Porsche special–the engine bay, to be exact.



Powering this 356 is a Type 692/1 four-cam engine (also numbers matching), of which, only about 14 or 15 were ever made before it was replaced by the Type 692/2 and 692/3 engines.

A relative to the Type 692/0 primarily used for competition, the 692/1 was unique due in part to its plain-bearing crankshaft and 18-gear cam actuation.



As for this particular Porsche, it’s believed to be one of the last of the small batch of 356A models fitted with the Type 692/1 engine.

Additionally, the 356 is in “near time-capsule” condition, per the seller, appearing almost exactly the same as it did before the car was acquired by Rudi Klein and put into long-term storage at his famed junkyard some 48 years ago.



Find this 1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1500 GS/GT Coupe up for auction from RM Sotheby’s on October 26, with an estimated value of $450,000-$600,000.