Carrosserie Gebrüder Beutler was established in 1943 by brothers Ernst and Fritz Beutler in Thun, Switzerland. Known for ornate and elegant baroque sensibility and styling, Beutler was tasked with building the prototype 356 cabriolet for Porsche in 1949. Adapted from Erwin Komenda’s coupe design, Beutler’s cabriolets were well finished and featured tops that completely folded away. However, the Beutler brothers were uninterested in series production and after six aluminum-bodied 356 cabriolets were completed, future production was entrusted to Carrosserie Reutter.
At the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, Beutler introduced a four-passenger coupe utilizing Porsche 356 A running gear. The conservative-looking coupe featured a long hood and nearly horizontal deck lid, and was intended to appeal to drivers who required more room than a standard 356. A second series car based on the revised 356 B became available from late 1958 onward and bore a familiar resemblance to the parent car with 356 B brake lights, door handles, bumpers, engine bonnet grilles, and trunk handle.
According to an accompanying copy of its Kardex, this 1960 Porsche 356 B Coupe was prepared by the factory in November 1959 and subsequently shipped to Beutler’s facility in Switzerland as a rolling chassis, equipped with its engine and gearbox. The Kardex further details that the Beutler-bodied coupe came to the US through the Brumos Car Corporation, the prolific Jacksonville, Florida-based Porsche dealership.
According to an article on file, chassis 13030 was one of two prototypes built on the 356 B platform. At one time, this 356 was owned by H.A. Sessions of Lubbock, Texas, and it was subsequently sold to avid Porsche racer and restorer Jim Watson of Tennessee in 1999. Mr. Watson drove the unique Swiss-coachbuilt Porsche at many club events and even used it as a reference example in the restoration of another 356 B Coupe bodied by Beutler. Now fitted with replacement engine 602769, a 356 B engine dating from 1960, the Porsche has been in long-term static storage for the past decade.
Supplied with a spare tire, Bilstein jack, a copy of its Kardex, and articles, this 356 B Coupe with coachwork by Beutler is a great rarity and purportedly one of just four examples still in existence. Resplendent in cream with a red interior, this Beutler would make a significant addition to any Porsche collection.
*Please note that this vehicle is titled as 11933060, which is the number on the body tag. Please also note that this vehicle has been in long-term static storage and may not be currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to road use
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