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Chassis:
One of three Porsche 356s prepared for the 1951 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, chassis 356/2-063 was the only 356 SL to make the race due to accidents in testing. Entered by the factory, it was driven by Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche to 20th overall. Crucially, it finished first in class, scoring Porsche’s first victory at Le Mans. It was subsequently raced in the Liège-Rome-Liège rally before setting three world records at the Montlhéry circuit. Having served its purpose, it was sold to the United States along with two sister cars. It was initially raced by Jack Rutherford and then by John van Neumann. To reduce weight, he had the roof removed by Emil Diedt.
In 1957, it was acquired by Chuck Forge, who would go on to own the car until his passing in 2009. He had the car restored in 1981 and regularly raced the dark red Roadster in historic events. Recognised as one of just seven lightweight 356 SL competition cars built, Forge never realised what he exactly owned. This was only discovered by the next custodian, a prominent American Porsche collector. Together with restorer Rod Emory, several unique features were discovered that could be traced back to the Le Mans class winning Coupe. The owners of the sister cars, which did not have their roofs removed, allowed Emory to take detailed measurements for the reconstruction of the car to its original guise. The work was completed in time for the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where it placed second in class. In 2023, the first Porsche to win at Le Mans was demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of Porsche’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
| Chassis details |
| Manufactured in |
1951 |
| First owner |
Porsche System |
| Last known location |
American Private Collection |
| Appearances |
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