Only a small handful of nameplates in automotive history evoke the level of motorsports heritage and performance pedigree associated with the word “Carrera.” Today more widely known as the flagship version of the Porsche 911, the iconic Carrera nomenclature was initially bequeathed to an early 356 variant equipped with a very special engine. This Type 547 engine was a direct development of the motor used in the highly successful 550 Spyders that won their class at the Carrera Panamericana road race in 1953 and 1954.

The engine that powered those racecars was specially engineered by Dr. Ernst Fuhrman with numerous mechanical upgrades over Porsche’s base-level flat-four motor, including twin ignition, dual carburetors, and a replacement of the traditional single-cam pushrod valve actuation in favor of a new four-cam set-up. After dominating the small-displacement sports car class at the Panamericana for two years, this engine was installed in mildly de-tuned roadgoing form in a commemorative 356 variant dubbed the Carrera 1500, and a legend was born. The 356 Carrera model was soon offered in two levels of trim: the street-positioned GS and the competition-specification GT, which featured uprated front brakes, a larger fuel tank, aluminum doors, an alloy front hood, and a specially louvered engine lid.

In May 1958 Porsche redesigned the four-cam engine in two different specifications. The Type 692/0 engine featured a roller-bearing crankshaft and was used primarily for competition; 37 examples were built. The Type 692/1, on the other hand, was intended for roadgoing customer cars, and featured a plain-bearing crankshaft. This more highly developed Carrera engine featured intricate design elements like advanced 18-gear cam actuation requiring incredibly complex timing adjustments.

Just 14 or 15 examples of the Type 692/1 Carrera engine were built before it was replaced by the Type 692/2 and 692/3, which were 1.6-liter engines made in a much greater quantity. Regarded by today’s marque experts as a notable transition between the original Type 547 motor and the forthcoming 904-specification Type 587 engine, the Type 692/1 is now prized for its rarity, exquisite engineering, and fascinating position within the Carrera genealogy.

As indicated by engine stampings, the featured 356 A 1500 Carrera GS/GT is equipped with the 12th Type 692/1 engine built, sequentially making it among the last examples with this build configuration. A Porsche Kardex copy on file further clarifies that chassis number 105441 was finished in Metallic Silver paint (Porsche 5706) and appointed with an outside mirror. It appears the buyer of record, a Mr. Burgoyne of Princeton, New Jersey, took delivery of the 356 at the factory in November 1958, in a cost-saving move that was favored by many customers.

The information in 1970s registrations and Rudi Klein’s period notes indicate that by 1975 the Porsche was owned by Roy Leventhal of La Verne, California. In August 1976 Mr. Leventhal sold the Carrera to Mr. Klein, and it has since remained in the junkyard for an amazing period of 48 years. The 1500 is a near time-capsule of its appearance at the time of being domiciled, retaining Mr. Levanthal’s California license plate, as well authentic features like the Reutter badges, Carrera script, wood-rimmed steering wheel, and the competition-style external mirror on the driver’s-side front fender. Drilled decklid struts, disc wheels, and Hella lenses round out the sporting features of this rare Carrera.

For Carrera purists, Porsche enthusiasts, and automotive archeologists of all stripes, there could hardly be a more stirring discovery than this unusual 356 A 1500 Carrera GS/GT. It should be noted that while stampings indicated the presently fitted gearbox (number 23238) is a replacement unit, the car retains its matching-numbers Type 692/1 Carrera engine. Interestingly enough, the Kardex indicates a factory replacement engine from a 1957 356 1600 was installed at 29,918 kilometers, but it appears to have been removed at some point since. A likely explanation is that the original, extremely mechanically complex engine was retained with the car and subsequently rebuilt before being reinstalled prior to 1976.

Retaining remarkable authenticity, this Carrera is an ideal candidate for Preservation Class display, given a sympathetic freshening. It is also an outstanding choice for a full restoration, after which it would surely receive a warm welcome at concours d’elegance and Porsche events. In any event, chassis number 105441 offers considerable potential to its next caretaker, as a rare and highly authentic example of Porsche’s most iconic model, the magnificent Carrera.