Bloomberg Businessweek Asia Edition - 05 August 2019

56

Inmid-August duringPebble Beach, theworld’smost

prestigiouscarshow,a vehiclethatRMSotheby’sis calling

thePorscheType 64 isexpectedtosellforabout$20mil-

lion.It promisestobethemostcontroversialsaleoftheyear.

Price isn’tthe issue. Theauction estimatefromRM

Sotheby’sis farshyoftherecord$48.4millionpaidfora 1962

Ferrari 250 GTO.TheType64’spricewouldstillberarefied,

morelikethatofthe 1963 AstonMartinDP215,whichsoldfor

$21.45millionlastyear.

Itisn’tthecar’sdesign,either,that’spromptedpublic

debateonInstagramandindiscreetdiscussionsbetweenauto

brokersandtheirclients—thoughit doeslooklikea UFO.

EventhefactthattheType 64 wascommissionedby

the Nazisisunsurprising,grimasthatmaysound.Many

well-knownvehiclesweredevelopedforNazipurposes, COURTESY

RM

SOTHEBY’S

(2)

CARS BloombergPursuits August 55

includingtheVolkswagenBeetleandMercedes-Benz770.

Theconflictthathaswealthycollectorswhisperingis that

theType 64 maynotactuallybea Porsche.“It’snot,”says

AndyPrill,a mechanicalengineerandownerofPrillPorsche

ClassicsinEngland.“Thisis onethingI’vebeenatpainsto

pointouttopeople.”Prillconductedthepresaleinspection

forRMSotheby’s,compilinga 53-pagedossieronthecar.His

take:WhiletheType 64 is a directancestorofthePorsches

thatcamelater,itsmixing-bowlheritage disqualifies it from

the same distinction.

In 1939, Ferdinand Porsche was a designer for Mercedes-

Daimler (founded in 1926) and Volkswagen (1937), among oth-

ers. He built the Type 64 as a commission from the National

Socialist Motor Corps. NSKK chief Adolf Hühnlein had hoped

the Type 64 would win a Berlin-to-Rome race planned to

A car built for the Nazi Party in 1939 has become the most polarizing

vehicle to go to auction in years. By Hannah Elliott

The $20 Million Porsche

That May Not Be a Porsche

From left: the Type

64; at a road race in

Korneuburg, Austria,

on April 6, 1952