After World War II, the German Army was looking for its own rough and ready automobile to contend with the likes of the Jeep and Land-Rover. Porsche were quick to develop a little off-roader of their own, and thus the 597 Jagdwagen, or ‘hunting car’, was born. 

Like all the best things to come out of Stuttgart, the Jagdwagen boasts a rear-mounted air-cooled engine, specifically the a detuned version of the 356’s flat-four. With around 50bhp and a total weight of just 1090kgs, this lightweight military vehicle can muster up an impressive 100 km/h top speed, more than enough to beat other holidaymakers to the best spot on the beach.

The example you see here is even more special than other Jagdwagens you might find, because this is one of the prototypes used to develop the car. Special equipment includes a retractable parasol so you can beat the heat, and a shovel for constructing the perfect sandcastle. Of course, all this fun in the sun doesn’t come cheap, and another non-prototype Jagdwagen achieved a mighty 330,000 dollars at auction back in 2016, so we’d expect this ultra-rare prototype to fetch quite the sum at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 auction between the 18th and 20th of August.