Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera

The vehicle in detail

The Carrera 2 2000 GS replaced the 1600-series Carrera for the 1962 model year as the highest-performance version of the Porsche 356 B. Available as both a Coupé and Cabriolet, it featured the latest production version of Porsche’s highly advanced double-overhead cam, air-cooled, four-cylinder “boxer” engine—designed by Porsche engineer Dr Ernst Fuhrmann and first seen in the 550 Spyder. The type 587/1 2.0-litre flat-four delivered an impressive 130 PS and 119 pounds-feet of torque. With lightweight coachwork, a fully synchromesh four-speed gearbox, and annular four-wheel disc brakes, the 356 B Carrera 2 2000 GS offered an exceptionally enjoyable and dynamic driving experience. Adding to this model’s allure is its rarity; just 310 examples, encompassing both body styles, were produced from 1962 to 1963. Only 67 were built as Cabriolets.

The example offered here was dispatched to Porsche Mahag in Munich, Germany on 26 June 1962. It came finished from the factory in Bali Blue over Grey leather and equipped with an antenna, chrome-plated disc wheels, and beige floormats, according to a copy of its original Kardex on file. The Porsche was delivered new to Max Burghardt of Bad Tölz. He kept the car for only one year before it passed to the second owner, Wolfgang Baumgartner, also of Bad Tölz. He kept the car for just one year as well. In 1964, it passed to Hans Rayhrer of Dinkelsbühl and would remain in his ownership until 1976. The next owner, Ernst Bauer of Munich, would retain the Carrera 2 even longer, for almost 30 years. Following this, it briefly passed through two subsequent keepers in Cologne, before the vendor acquired it in 2006.

The present owner, a marque specialist well-known within the Porsche and motorsport communities in Germany, oversaw a comprehensive restoration of the Cabriolet from 2021 to 2023. It is now attractively finished in its original colour of Bali Blue over light grey leather and its original flat-four has been replaced with a correct-type 587/1 engine. The car presents beautifully and is accompanied by its Kardex copy, German registration documents, and a photo album of the recent restoration work.