1965 Porsche 911 'SWB' Coupé
Registration no. not UK registered
Chassis no. 302204

Few sports cars have proved as versatile as Porsche's perennial 911, a model that, for the last 50 years, has proved equally capable as a Grand Tourer, circuit racer, or rally car. A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, the 911 first appeared at the 1963 Frankfurt Show as the '901', but shortly after production proper commenced in 1964 had become the '911' following Peugeot's complaints about the use of '0' model numbers. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the chassis/body and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower.

This particular 911 is one of the early, short-wheelbase cars of the type much favoured by the historic rallying fraternity, a situation that has led to original examples such as this one becoming a great rarity. It belongs to the '0-Programme' series built from the start of production in August 1964 up to the introduction of the 'A-Programme' model in August 1967, and thus represents the Porsche 911 in its earliest and purest form. The current vendor purchased the car directly from the first owner in California and imported it into Spain that same year. Registered in Spain in 2005, the Porsche has seen little use since then: only a few trips to motor shows such as Auto Retro Barcelona and Espirit di Montjuich. Maintained by a Porsche specialist in Barcelona, the car has a valid technical control and is described by the private vendor as in generally very good condition, having been repainted 10 years ago while retaining its original interior. This collectible '0-Programme' Porsche 911 comes complete with its original tool kit.