PROVENANCE
Hubert Brundage, Jacksonville, Florida (acquired new via Beutler by 1960)
Thomas Wilson, Columbia, Tennessee (acquired from the above circa 1962)
Thomas M. Trabue/Jim Watson, Tennessee (acquired from the above circa 1988)
Thomas M. Trabue (acquired remaining interest from the above)

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
Porsche 356 Registry East Coast Holiday, Charleston, South Carolina, 2002 (First Prize, Special Interest)
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2007 (RM Restoration Award)

Carrosserie Gebrüder Beutler was established in 1943 by brothers Ernst and Fritz Beutler in Thun, Switzerland. Known for sometimes ornate but elegant baroque sensibility and styling, in 1949, Beutler was tasked with building the prototype 356 cabriolet for Porsche. Adapted from Erwin Komenda’s coupe design, Beutler’s cabriolets were well finished and featured tops that completely folded away. However, the Beutler brothers were uninterested in series production and after six aluminum-bodied 356 cabriolets were completed, future production was entrusted to Carrosserie Reutter.

At the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, Beutler introduced a four-passenger coupe utilizing Porsche 356 A running gear. The conservative-looking coupe featured a long hood and nearly horizontal deck lid and was intended to appeal to drivers who required more room than a standard 356. A second series car based on the revised 356 B became available from late 1958 onward and bore a familiar resemblance to the parent car with 356 B brake lights, door handles, bumpers, and hood handle.

According to its Kardex, components for this 1960 Porsche 356 B Super Coupe, including its engine, were prepared by the factory in November 1959 and subsequently shipped to Beutler’s facility in Switzerland. Finished in white with a blue roof and red interior, this example is thought to have been presented at Beutler’s stand at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. This car’s first recorded owner was Hubert Brundage of Jacksonville, Florida, who acquired the car by September 1960. Founder of the iconic Brumos Porsche dealership, Mr. Brundage sold the car to Thomas Wilson of Columbia, Tennessee, in July 1962. Noted collectors Tommy Trabue and Jim Watson purchased the car together from Mr. Wilson in 1988, before Mr. Trabue acquired complete interest in 2016.

Driven and enjoyed, the very original Beutler Porsche was displayed at the 2002 Porsche 356 Registry East Coast Holiday, where it placed first in the Special Interest category. At the 2007 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, it received the prestigious RM Restoration Award for best unrestored car. After a 2007 garage fire blistered the paintwork and smoke-damaged the interior, the 356 was meticulously restored by award-winning Porsche restoration specialist Spirit of Excellence in Lewisburg, Tennessee, with final finishing and mechanical fettling by Sanders Imports of Marietta, South Carolina.

Supplied with tools, spare tire, Kardex, and restoration receipts and photographs, this 356 B Super Coupe with coachwork by Beutler is a great rarity and purportedly one of just four examples still in existence. Presenting in splendid condition throughout, it would make a significant addition to any Porsche collection.