1961 Porsche 356

Make

Porsche

Model

356

Year

1961

Listed price

$2,500,000

Location

Garland, Texas

Transmission

Manual

Mileage

35,656 miles

The Porsche 356, the foundational sports car that launched an automotive dynasty, began its journey in 1948. Evolving through several iterations, the T5 body style, introduced in 1960, represented a significant refinement. While retaining the iconic silhouette, the T5 brought improvements in rigidity and safety, subtly modernizing the beloved design without sacrificing its purity. The Karmann Hardtop, a distinctive variant, offered a unique blend of coupe aesthetics with enhanced structural integrity, and it was within this lineage that the innovative Golde sunroof option first emerged, adding an open-air dimension to the otherwise fixed-roof design. This 1961 Porsche 356 1600 S Karmann Hardtop Sunroof Coupe, chassis number 200006, is a truly remarkable piece of Porsche history. Not only is it recognized as the very first Karmann Hardtop ever manufactured and the inaugural Karmann model to feature a sunroof, but it also carries the extraordinary provenance of having been the personal car of Hans Klauser, Porsche's esteemed Factory Director from 1950 to 1978. Finished in classic Ivory over a black interior, this significant vehicle, showing 35,656 miles, was factory-fitted with an S90 engine (number 804134) in 1967 and retains its original transmission (number 43000). The factory Kardex and the registration under Klauser's name with license plate S-LT 11 further underscore its direct connection to a pivotal figure in Porsche's formative years. This is an unparalleled opportunity to acquire a Porsche 356 with an almost unrepeatable historical significance.