The Porsche Type 64 | Chris Harris Drives | Top Gear

[Music] this strange object you see to my right is the rarest of rare vehicles it's the first Porsche ever made it's called the type 64 now most Portuguese like me think that a pre a 356 a government 356 is the earliest Porsche but this car predates that by 10 years this was Ferdinand Porsches experiment at a sports car based on the Volkswagen the people's car and it was built in 1939 it's still privately owned and I'm gonna get to drive it I have to say this might be one of the best days of my motoring life first things first even though it was built in 1939 before the Porsche motor can't even be informed it still looks like a Porsche it's recognizably a Porsche the crazy streamline shape I know is outrageous because it was built for Road rallies but it just looks like a Porsche the angle of that VW head like the way it's recessed into that wing and with that there that's the iconography of the next 50 60 years of Porsche product it's amazing to see it and this was basically the Porsche family testbed for its dream of making a sports car on humble beginnings I mean I just think it's amazing it's a piece of rollin history come down a side hit wheel squats so this thing was running and still is running a 1 liter flat 4 so basically a very early B Kalenjin 32 horsepower claimed top speed is still wait for it 88 miles an hour I mean it is a bar of soap isn't it so one day we stored this car a few years ago they took it apart and they found some interesting things first of all the assumption was it was just sitting on a Volkswagen chassis it's not it's an entirely different construction chassis using aerospace grade materials and also the body is riveted in place using mm rivets basically it's Hungarian aircraft technology it's a plane on wheels move down the side here you can see the thinking can't you this is already Porsche saying rather than going for big capacity heaviness let's use brute force this is lightweight it's dainty it's it's acknowledging the fact that resources are tight let's use small amounts of power small engines existing componentry to go fast and I just think it's absolutely stunning and this cart is so beautifully patent ated it was black all the original photographs of it being black apparently was painted in the 1950s so I suppose it should say this color shouldn't because that's what it is that's this part of its journey it did the ensel classic I think in the 90s and it's done a couple of good with festival speeds but it hasn't been out regularly it was bizarrely refused entry into the Mille Miglia I mean can you think of a more mille miglia eligible car than this maybe they didn't understand its history if you ask me this is the most pucker thing that could ever enter that event right come on the back here this is the stuff I love so in here and I say this with my sort of grave voice on this is the beginning of Porsche all you people that love 911s or you people that love Caymans and boxes and what-have-you this is where it all started 1939 okay in there is a beetle engine sitting behind the rear axle so it allowed plenty of space and the weight distribution is a bit odd for handling but of course it's perfect to keep a small frontal area for aerodynamics and that is the reason why your 911 looks the way it does tiny little engine thing weighs nothing it's beautiful and it's ragged as well I mean this is not an over restored classic this is a proper piece of history it's a a ruffled hammered Chesterfield sofa of a car anyhow let's go around the side have a look in the cabin and then you'll realize that I've actually had enough of looking at it I want to drive it but here we go look at this so it's got sort of semi perished nylon supported rubbers on the windows that look perfect all of the chrome work round the seals here there's so much more attention to making an aerodynamic seal to making it smooth than a car of this era it's just a stream liner and then you move in here you've got a seat that sits on a flat floor the driving position is utterly bizarre because you've got your legs are pushed to the right hugely because the fuel tanks down there so that's counting your legs to the right the throttle pedal is a wheel a rotating wheel that allows you to push further forwards obviously without your foot getting stuck on the pedal itself and I'm shunted literally with my special bits right onto the steering wheel because there's a battery behind me so you can see the driver's seat is about a foot further four than the plasma seat and these seats are just yeah they're old Volkswagen seats that are taken absolute beating and straightaway that's familiar Volkswagen there's a Volkswagen speedometer VW logo all of this is Volkswagen gear Leivers Volkswagen it's a rolling testbed for a company that would go on to become one of the most famous car companies in fact one of the most famous companies regardless of whether they make cars on whatever product they make in the world this is where it started this is like breaking into a safe somewhere in America someone finds an old safe in a building you crack it open and you find a little book that says this is the recipe for coca-cola that's what this is in a car that's why I'm excited you're thinking he's about to drive a right old it's not so that looks a bit like a beetle but the reality is to be Indiana Jones around this it's amazing not sure about the driving position let's go good God advance the clutch it's got no weightings on it at all just think who sat in this car Ferdinand Porsche ferry Porsche but this car was built in 1939 and it never really went on and did much because all resources were put towards the journal war effort towards the coupe of organs you know towards the sort of semi amphibious and small vehicles they needed to move around that's what Porsche ended up doing but this thing lurked around it didn't get destroyed there were two others one of which was destroyed during the war and the other one apparently was effectively captured by the Allied invaders by the Americans they chopped the roof off it and honed it around an airfield and it seized the engine and died this is the last surviving one but there's a thought for contemplation yeah it seemed quite important historical figures have probably sat in this car and that is it makes it so much more special I have to say I'm a little bit lacking in words because I have never been in a car that feels quite as significant as this hand-beaten everything Wow let's go for a drive oh wow Wow so what still hides our drive I have to say I'm completely befuddled because it's so special so immediately feels light and agile and much the first you old cow whatever this should be like a 2cv but it's all quicker Walker snow is no sound early in deniz I can see the engine from where I'm sitting I can feel I can smell what is great it feels like a very little very old little Porsche Wow breaks Wisconsin breaks they're not necessarily my friend at the moment kilink it is pretty good steering with a fin tyre and this lovely fin steering wheel it's delicious just wriggles of our hand do I look like a happy boy I think if you love porscha if you love it's approached some motor vehicles you can't fail to be totally captivated by this machine the Genesis it began and it feels like it then as well there's a lot of conjecture about whether it's a real Porsche or not well the chassis is different enough to a Volkswagen to mean to me but it's a Porsche and its place in the Porsche narrative he's absolutely beyond reproach isn't it that we know is that Saints not a real portion of the debris a government Austrian bill three five six is the first true Porsche but this is where it began this is where the thinking began and you can't underestimate that because the beginning of a car company is arguably where it started in the head of the founder Shirley Lord I would love to do a long journey in this spell spritely you know feels like it wants to get up and go it wants to be moving lack of mass is gorgeous no real sense of the weight distribution either because the Indian is so small and life we found by the time you feel take me how's the money even have to be in the shed it goes away and the surface the hill so on its toes worth north of 10 million queen of trance init about but that would be rude but before this film ends just sit back and look at some more amazing details of this piece of history [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music]

Channel: Top Gear

Views: 948,967

Rating: 4.8613963 out of 5

Keywords: top gear, top gear chris harris, top gear chris harris drives, top gear chris harris car review, chris harris drives, chris harris on cars, top gear chris harris porsche, chris harris porsche, porsche type 64, porsche type 64 replica, top gear review, top gear review porsche, top gear porsche 64, first porsche ever made, first porsche car, top gear porsche

Id: HaDWPBco07w

Length: 12min 40sec (760 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 09 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/NusPojava]

That felt special, especially the editing in the ending.

And the Coca-Cola remark was spot on, although, considering that this thing survived WWII and stood the test of time, it's even better.

[u/dahamsta]

I'm sure Chris was thinking it but didn't want to say it: I wonder if Hitler sat in that car. How odd that would be.

EDIT: I know they knew each other. That's where the Beetle came from. That's why I wondered it. Duh.

[u/SucaMofo]

Does anyone have any info on why this was denied entry into the mille miglia? I searched and was not able to find any info.

I think this is a fascinating vehicle.

[u/Neveruseful]

Thank you Ferdinand, very cool!

[u/Airkuhled]

I was lucky enough to see a Type 64 in person last year when the Peterson had the Porsche Effect Exhibit. I own a 70s 911, and I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable Porsche geek, and I know of the 356, but honestly the old stuff didn't really interest me since it's sort of slow and extremely out of my price range. I'd never heard of this car before, but was completely captivated by it.

The one I saw in person was black, and rebuilt from a bunch of spare parts, and there were so many things that blew me away:

- the DNA for the 356, especially in front

- how narrow the cockpit/canopy was

- the outrageous rear hips when viewed from the back

- wheel covers are awesome!!!!!

- The refinement of form/surfacing of the body..... given that this was designed in the 30s, is just incredible

Definitely one of the coolest car moments I've ever had. Can't imagine driving one. Loved this video, thanks for posting.

[u/EnpySee]

Would be great to do an LS swap into. Would take some cutting, but with enough time it could be done. How unique would that be? Maybe chop off the top so you could cruise around on sunny days and enjoy the breeze and shoe-horn a sub box in the front for all your bass needs.

[u/Alph_A__]

I love how all those marks of time are left alone. Gives the car so much more character.

[u/hj_b]

Amazing, thanks for sharing this.

[u/imped4now]

Props to Chris for not getting it sideways.

;)