Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera de Luxe GT

The vehicle in detail

This car, chassis 84940, is one of only thirteen Porsche 356 A Speedster Carrera GT 1600 GS produced in 1959 with the legendary 1600 cc Fuhrmann plain bearing engine. For connoisseurs this represents the absolute peak, the most advanced, most desirable and most valuable Speedster ever built. Quite simply, it is known as the King of the 356s.

Completed in July 1959 and finished in its original Silver Metallic, the car was delivered through Max Hoffman in New York. Factory records confirm the full GT specification: aluminium body panels, engine type 692/3, gearbox type 716/4, and every lightweight detail that made the Carrera GT a pure competition machine. The first owner was Alan P. Schweber of Springfield, who later sold it to Bernard Switkes, a prominent PCA member in New York. Switkes actively used the Speedster in gymkhana and autocross events, but the highlight of its early life came when it was raced by Bruce Jennings, one of the most famous Porsche privateers of the period.

From 2007 to 2009 the car was entrusted to recognised specialists in the United States, including Paul Russell’s renowned workshop. The philosophy was clear: preserve originality wherever possible. The result speaks for itself. The original floor, sills, aluminium doors, bonnet and engine lid all remain in place, stamped with the correct “940.” Hinges, trim strips and even the factory GT roll bar are original. The suspension with GT geometry and spacers is intact, as are the ventilated GT drum brakes and the correctly date stamped May 1959 wheels. Inside, the car retains its lightweight bucket seats, dashboard, speedometer and steering wheel.

At the heart of the car is a correct replacement Fuhrmann engine of the very rare 692/3 type, rebuilt by Hloch, the undisputed specialist for these motors. Every component is exactly as it should be, from dual distributors and carburetors to the oil system and fittings. The original matching 716/4 gearbox remains with the car.

The documentation is as complete as one could wish for: Kardex, data card, Porsche data sheet and period US titles. Nothing is missing, nothing is uncertain. Chassis 84940 appears repeatedly in the Carrera Registers, proof that it is regarded as a benchmark example down to the smallest stamped part. Even metallurgical analysis has been performed on the body shell, confirming unalloyed late 1950s steel and independently proving its originality.