PROVENANCE
Mr. Politzer, Brussels, Belgium (acquired new via D’Ieteren Frères in 1962)
Grady Clay, Denver, Colorado (acquired circa 1982)
Robert Pass, St. Louis, Missouri (acquired from the above in 1986)
Richard Freshman, Los Angeles, California (acquired from the above in 1986)
Private Collection, Geneva, Switzerland (acquired from the above in May 2002)
Juan Barazi, London, England (acquired from the above in May 2003)
Luay Allawi, London, England (acquired from the above in July 2006)
Cavallino Holdings (acquired from the above in 2008)
Jerry Seinfeld (acquired from the above)

LITERATURE
Cole Scrogham, Porsche 356 Carrera, The Four-Cam Production Cars, model discussed pp. 73-83
Jürgen Barth and Gustav Büsing, The Porsche Book, model discussed pp. 146-149
Rolf Sprenger and Steve Heinrichs, Porsche Carrera, pp. 384, 830

THIS CAR
“An amazing car with an amazing sound. These are so rare, harder to find than an Abarth. But just as thrilling. Four-cams at high rpm are reasons to live.”
–Jerry Seinfeld

Introduced in 1962, the 2000 GS – or Carrera 2 – was specially created to meet customer demand for a four-cam Porsche with greater mid-range power and torque. The early four-cam engines, with their roller-bearing crankshafts, produced power high in the rpm range, a characteristic acceptable for the lightweight Spyder models; however, for a 356-based sports car, greater displacement was needed to remain competitive.

At the heart of the 2000 GS was the new two-liter type 587 engine, which, in its various forms, represented the ultimate development of the Ernst Fuhrmanndesigned four-cam. Benefiting from a reinforced crankcase, redesigned cylinder heads, larger cylinder bore, increased cooling capacity, and wider main bearing journals, the new two-liter engine produced at least 140 bhp in stock form and could easily be tuned to deliver 160-plus bhp.

In all, approximately 300 examples of the 2000 GS were built during B-series production, with an additional 100 or so built as C-series cars. Of these, a limited number were originally constructed for competition use, with lightweight aluminum panels and special high-performance components.

The car presented here, chassis no. 122561, is one of these rare machines, as confirmed by a copy of the original Porsche Kardex and Certificates of Authenticity. Originally finished in Silver Metallic with blue leatherette upholstery and matching blue carpeting, the Carrera 2 was equipped from new with desirable competition features including lightweight aluminum doors, Plexiglas windows, and a type 741/20A transaxle with BBAB Speedster gear ratios.

Completed on December 5, 1962, the Carrera was originally retailed through D’Ieteren Frères and sold to a Mr. Politzer in Brussels, Belgium. In 1964, the Carrera 2 returned to the Porsche factory, where – as noted on the factory Kardex – the original engine (numbered 97175) was replaced with a type 587/2 GT-specification engine numbered 98016. According to the book Porsche Carrera, this factory replacement engine was originally installed in a prototype 904, chassis 904-003.

This new type 587/2 engine, introduced in 1963, featured Weber rather than Solex carburetors and was employed in a variety of racing models, including the 904, Abarth Carrera GTL, and Dreinkantschaber factory works cars. In all, it is believed that just 33 examples of the type 587/2 engine were built.

The Carrera 2’s first recorded owner outside of Europe was Grady Clay, a well-known Porsche collector and racer based in Denver, Colorado. In addition to the special 356 presented here, Mr. Clay also owned a 904, RS60, Carrera 2 Cabriolet, as well as numerous 911s and four-cam engines.

In 1986, Mr. Clay sold this Carrera 2 to Robert Pass of St. Louis, and the car was then acquired by Richard Freshman of Los Angeles, California. Invoices in the car’s file confirm that Mr. Freshman hired famed four-cam specialist Bill Doyle of Rennwagen Motor Company to rebuild the engine and overhaul the transaxle.

In May 2002, Mr. Freshman’s collection of cars and rare parts was sold at auction, with the Carrera 2 acquired by a Swiss collector. From there, the Porsche was exported to the UK, where it was an integral part of two prominent private collections and benefited from maintenance by leading specialists Jim Stokes Workshops Ltd. and DK Engineering. In 2008, the Carrera 2 was acquired by Cavallino Holdings, and over the next few years was serviced by Canepa in Scotts Valley, California. Since joining The Jerry Seinfeld Collection, the Carrera 2 has enjoyed regular exercise and care. According to an invoice on file, it was carefully detailed and mechanically sorted by Southern California 356 specialist Jim Rinker.

Beautifully presented in its original Metallic Silver livery with well-preserved blue vinyl upholstery, this extremely rare four-cam Porsche is equipped with the finest high-performance features offered for the 356 series. Among the car’s many competition features are a Sport II “Sebring” style exhaust with rear muffler skirt; long-range fuel tank with external filler; bi-metallic competition wheels; aluminum doors, hood, and deck lid; and a number light mounted on the passenger door. Inside, the cockpit is outfitted with GT bucket seats, a roll bar, and a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel.

Equipped with its powerful type 587/2 plain-bearing engine, effective C-series four-wheel ATE disc brakes, and the aforementioned competition features, this Carrera 2 represents the ultimate development of the 356 range. With an outstanding power-to-weight ratio, this Porsche is a genuinely fast and comfortable dual-purpose sports car, eligible for the very best international rallies, concours d’elegance, and historic races. In terms of outright performance, exotic engineering, and rarity in numbers, only Porsche’s own Abarth Carrera GTL and perhaps Alfa Romeo’s Giulia TZ rival the impressive package offered by this Carrera 2.

This glorious Carrera, with its well-documented history, ideal specification, and outstanding presentation, is surely among a rarified category of early Porsche competition cars.