This 1958 model year car was first delivered on 13/01/1958 as a Carrera 1500cc GS finished in Silver with an 80 litre fuel tank (with a central bonnet re-filler), leatherette 'Speedster' seat, lightweight 'Plexiglass' rear screen and a 'Spyder' rear view mirror. The lucky customer, an enthusiastic racing driver and professional jockey, was Mr Hans Harzheim of Koln, Germany, who raced the car successfully in his home country and is still alive today. He achieved notable results including the AvD Rheinland Pfalz Preis on 03/08/1958, a 5th place at the famous Nurburgring Nordschliefe in the GT 1600cc Class and a win on 05/10/1958 in the Eifelrennen Nurburgring, again in the GT 1600cc Class. In addition he also claimed some notable results in rallying with a win in the Avus Rallye, Berlin in 1958 and 1959 and a third place in the Rallye Lyon-Charbonniere finishing in 3rd place. During 1959 he also came 2nd in the Wolsfelder Hillclimb Rennen (German Hillclimb Championship)
The car and driver were also invited to compete in the Nurburgring ADAC 1000Kms Rennen (1 of 6 World Championship races) albeit by this time the car was back at Porsche receiving it's up-date. Furthermore, Hans Harzheim raced on 13/07/1960 in the Rheinland Pfalz Preis Nurburgring GT Class (finishing in 8th place) and at Trier on 19/09/1962 competing in the Porsche Carrera Formula Junior race (finishing in 4th place).
During this period of intense racing activity results were further improved by the car returning to the Porsche factory in 1958 to receive an upgrade of a 1600cc GT engine (115ps), lightweight alloy bonnet, alloy boot lid and alloy doors plus a change of colour to Red.
Following its successful period of racing in Germany the car was sold and exported to the USA, eventually returning to Europe in 1980 when it was discovered by the famous German industrialist, Hans Dieter Blatzheim.
In 1984, it had a complete restoration in Switzerland at a cost of over 74,000 Swiss Francs carried out by distinguished Porsche restorer, Armin Baumann, in preparation for its place in the famous Blatzheim collection in Bonn.
Hans Dieter Blatzheim was an enthusiastic and accomplished racing driver who had one of the largest and most significant collection of Porsche racing cars in the world. Tragically, he died at the age of 47 on 14/08/1985 in a Porsche 917 while testing for the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. This Porsche 356, along with the rest of his collection, was left to his two young sons on the condition that the cars could not be sold until both sons reached the age of 25 - hence the recent release of this car onto the market.
Therefore, this car has predominantly remained a static display in a private collection, covering no more than 1,500 kms during the last 25 years.
It has recently been sympathetically re-commissioned and has FIA papers and Technical Passport and is now completely eligible and welcome at all the world's most prestigious historic motorsport events, including Goodwood Revival, Tour Auto, Historic Le Mans and Mille Miglia, etc.
This concours condition car represents a unique and exciting opportunity into historic motorsport worldwide with an outstanding pedigree and provenance.
(With thanks to Martina Engels for her help with this research.)