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Author Topic: The Original Hot Rod - Berlin Rome Type 64 Racer  (Read 1013 times)
John P
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« on: July 21, 2011, 01:01:06 pm »

I've always loved the lines of this car. I finally got to see a replica body during the new Porsche Museum's grand opening in early 2009, where I took this photo.



And I couldn't stop staring at it. It's so VW, so Porsche, so perfect. Every line is right. Everything is in place and nothing stands out. Laminar flow.

Call it the Porsche Type 64, or the KDF 64K10, or the Volkswagen Aerocoupe. Whatever you call it, it is simplicity at it's best.  

From Wikipedia

"The Porsche 64, also known as the VW Aerocoupe, Type 64 and Type 60K10, is considered by many to be the first automobile from what was to become the Porsche company, as a true design precursor to the production model of after the war. The model number comes from the fact that it was built mainly from design drawings for the Type-64 "record car". Most mechanical parts came from the 38 prototype series. The chassis was heavily reinforced and the engine also reworked to produce around 100 horse power. The Type-64 was only a drawing until the three racers were built. The body was also a compromise in that the cab had to look like a KdF car, but the rest was 'record' car. The VW beetle was the Type-60, and the name the "60K10" means body design 10 for the Type-60 Beetle. Its flat-four engine produced 50 bhp and gave a top speed of around 160 km/h (99 mph).

The body design was made by the Porsche Büro after wind tunnel tests for a planned V10 sports car that never came into existence, the Type 114. Dr. Porsche promoted the idea to enter the car into the 1939 Berlin-Rome race as a public relations ploy. Three cars were made in hand shaped aluminium by the bodywork company Reutter. One was destroyed early in World War II. The two remaining were used by the Porsche family.[citation needed] Eventually they only used one of them and put the other in storage.[citation needed] In May 1945 American troops discovered the one put in storage, cut the roof off and used it for joyriding for a few weeks until the engine gave up and it was scrapped. The last remaining Porsche 64 was owned by Ferry Porsche who had it restored by Battista Farina in 1947. In 1949 it was sold to the Austrian motorcycle racer Otto Mathé and with it he won the Alpine Rally in 1950. The last time he drove it in a race was at the Monterey Historic Races in Monterey, California, in 1982."

________________________________________________________________

The car referred to above was sold upon Mathé's death, and recently featured in Excellence Magazine.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2011, 01:10:47 pm by John P » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2011, 01:03:57 pm »

Period Photos









Updated Photo

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« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2011, 01:12:00 pm »

And a complete replica was recently built

(From: http://www.sportscardigest.com/classics-at-the-castle-porsche-concours-2011-photo-gallery/?awt_l=N2K6I&awt_m=K0S7jZbdvus.C0








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« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2011, 01:12:29 pm »

More...







With a Familiar Looking Engine

« Last Edit: July 21, 2011, 01:19:14 pm by John P » Logged

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« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2011, 01:30:29 pm »

A Video of the replica can be viewed by clicking on the latest post in the Ramblings Section in the above menu or Home page.
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« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2011, 11:56:53 pm »

great !, I only saw the old photos in the porsche books

the front grille is diferent, also what for is the front grille ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG6-flQnmeo

I never found the rambling section
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« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2011, 11:07:51 am »

Good video, and good catch on the differences in the grills. My assumption is that they were cosmetic, because the public was used to seeing grills on the front of the car.

Apparently Ferdinand Porsche used the Type 64 during the second world war, being driven by his chauffeur at night with the headlights taped up (with the exception of the small slits). I think of this occurring on the Autobahn at relatively high speeds, driving blind (essentially), when I'm driving my own 6 volt car at night. Even at night, it feels as if I'm driving blind with the headlights taped-up.  Roll Eyes

More photos









And My Favourite Photo

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« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2011, 11:13:46 am »

More

"Three cars were made in hand shaped aluminium by the bodywork company Reutter. One was destroyed early in World War II. The two remaining were used by the Porsche family. Eventually they only used one of them and put the other in storage. In May 1945 American troops discovered the one put in storage, cut the roof off and used it for joyriding for a few weeks until the engine gave up and it was scrapped. The last remaining Porsche 64 was owned by Ferry Porsche who had it restored by Battista Farina in 1947. In 1949 it was sold to the Austrian motorcycle racer Otto Mathé and with it he won the Alpine Rally in 1950."

"The three Berlin Rom racers were not built at one time, each one has subtil differences. Each car also had changes over time. During the war they were used as test mules for all kinds of things, unfortunately there was very little documentation of the tests and changes. the front ends of the body work was also changed on the dark car at least once. Very little seems to be known of the work on the engine, or the final power. The Mathe car had a later engine in it at his death, and the speedo was a later version (based on some fotos I have) Mathe swapped the steering from one side to the other because of his lame arm. He also pulled the big long range racing gas tank, to get leg room when he swapped the driving side over. As far as the Mathe car, I think the last built, ended up withe first car's chassis, after it was wrecked by Lafferentz. "







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« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2011, 11:15:36 am »





1100 cc Hot Rod






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« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2011, 11:17:35 am »

Some of the Subtle Details









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