Porsche 356 C 2000 GS Carrera 2

Introduced in 1962, the 2000 GS – or Carrera 2 – was 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 iterations, represented the ultimate development of the Ernst Fuhrmann-designed four cam. Benefiting from a reinforced crankcase, redesigned heads, larger bore, and increased cooling capacity, the Type 587 engine produced 130 bhp in GS specification and more than 150 bhp in GT tune.

In all, approximately 300 examples of the Carrera 2 were built during B-series production, with an additional 100 or so built as C-series cars. Although most Carrera 2s were built in coupe form, Porsche also offered the 2000 GS as a glamorous cabriolet. Just 97 Carrera 2 Cabriolets were built – 67 in B-specification, featuring Porsche’s annular disc brakes, and a final 30 in C-specification, fitted with the improved ATE system.

As documented in Rolf Sprenger and Steve Heinrich’s definitive book Carrera, this 2000 GS Cabriolet, chassis 159548, is among this extremely rare breed of late-production C-series cars. According to a copy of the factory Kardex, this car was originally finished in the elegant color combination of Ruby Red (code 6402) over black leather and equipped with chrome wheels wearing Dunlop tires. Completed in November 1963, the Carrera 2 was shipped to Competition Motors in Culver City, California, for delivery to Robert Estes of Los Angeles.

Born in car-crazed Southern California, Bob Estes was an automobile lover almost from birth. As a teenager, he raced Ford specials and achieved considerable success at the Dry Lakes and California Roadster Association events. After WWII, he established the Bob Estes Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Inglewood, California, and in 1955, opened Precision Motor Cars in Beverly Hills, where he was later joined by Otto Zipper to form Estes-Zipper Porsche Audi.

Throughout the 1950s, Estes was a fixture in the AAA Midwest Sprint Car Championship and the AAA National Championship as well as a perennial entrant in the Indy 500. He even entered several of his cars in the famed “Race of Two Worlds” in Italy, which saw American Indy roadsters and European sports cars do battle on the banks of Monza.

Having established himself in the automotive world, Estes eventually turned to car collecting. A founding member of the American Bugatti Club, he owned a Type 35B Grand Prix, a Type 55 Cabriolet, and a Type 52. In addition to his Bugattis, he also owned a Vanden Plas-bodied Mercedes-Benz S-Type and a Duesenberg Model J Murphy Roadster, and was a regular entrant at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®.

While it is not known how long Estes retained his Carrera 2 Cabriolet, it eventually was acquired by Warren Eads, the well-known Southern California-based Porsche collector. An early four-cam proponent, Mr. Eads owned numerous Carrera and Spyder models. His company, Spyder Sports, specialized in the restoration of early Porsche competition cars.

During his ownership, the Carrera 2 Cabriolet was professionally restored in its current Ruby Red over beige color scheme, with paintwork by Jim Rinker and upholstery by Autos International. Noted Florida-based four-cam specialist Willison Werkstatt is reported to have rebuilt the car’s current engine using components supplied by Mr. Eads.

In recent years, the 356 has been a fixture in a prominent Northern Californiabased Porsche collection, where it has resided among other four-cam-powered rarities and benefited from regular maintenance, as evidenced by recent service records on file. Notably, the Porsche is offered with a Reutter hardtop that features a built-in electric sunroof – an extremely rare, sought-after period accessory perfectly suited to an exotic like this Carrera 2 Cabriolet.

As the final development of the four-cam 356, the ultra-rare C-series Carrera 2 Cabriolet occupies a revered status among collectible Porsches. Considering that this example was delivered new to a well-known Southern California collector and later restored by marque specialists for a respected four-cam enthusiast, it warrants serious consideration.