1965 Porsche 911 Coupe

Description

The 1965 Porsche 911 marked the full commercial launch of one of the most iconic sports cars ever built. Conceived by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, the 911 was introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the 901, but a naming dispute with Peugeot — which held rights to three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle — forced the rename.

By 1965, the car was in full production, powered by an air-cooled 2.0-liter flat-six engine producing 130 horsepower. Mounted in the rear, the engine gave the 911 its distinctive handling character — thrilling but demanding of its driver. The bodywork, penned by Butzi himself, was sleek and purposeful, a clear evolution from the 356 it replaced.

Car and Driver magazine (April 1965) boldly stated (and accurately predicted), “No contest. This is the Porsche to end all Porsches—or, rather, to start a whole new generation of Porsches. Porsche's new 911 model is unquestionably the finest Porsche ever built.”

This 1965 Porsche is one of the early "0-Series" 911s — completed July 20, 1965 — in the first full-year of production, with only 3,154 examples built worldwide that year. Ordered in Champagne Yellow over a Black Leatherette interior, known history dating back to 1982 shows a record of care with a focus on authenticity (see full history in "Additional Information"), including sourcing a period-correct 2.0-liter flat-six engine and a respray in correct Champagne Yellow.

Approximately $62,000 was spent on an engine and transaxle rebuild in 2017.

The car is equipped with a wood-rimmed steering wheel, a Blaupunkt head unit, and 15" steel wheels with chrome Porsche hubcaps and period-style Pirelli tires.

This 1965 Porsche 911 is now offered by the selling dealer with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and a clean California title.

Highlights

• Early "0-Series 911 completed in July 1965

• One of 3,154 911s produced worldwide in 1965

• Porsche Certificate of Authenticity included

• $62,000 engine/transmission rebuild and service in 2017

• Period-correct 2.0-liter flat-six engine (Type 901/01)

• 5-speed manual transaxle (Type 901/0)

• Refinished in correct Champagne Yellow (6405) over a Black Leatherette (B) interior

Factory Equipment

• Wood dashboard fascia

• VDM wood‑rim steering wheel

• VDO instrumentation with green script

• Blaupunkt "LMKU" radio

• Painted 4.5” × 15” slotted steel wheels

• 4-wheel disc brakes

• Per Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, factory options included:

  • Webasto Heater (002 136)

  • 2 Headrests - Leather

  • Tinted Glass All Around

  • 2 Exterior Mirrors

  • Automatic Seat Belt - Left

  • Dunlop Tires (165/15)

Servicing & Documentation

• Pirelli Cinturato CN36 185 70 HR15 tires

• Paint correction and bare-metal detailing of the undercarriage/suspension

• In June 2017, Beck's European of Scottsdale, Arizona completed $62,000 of work, with the receipt shown in the "Additional documents" section below. Highlights are included below. Bidders are highly encouraged to view the receipt for the full list of work completed:

  • Remove and rebuild engine and transaxle

  • Installation of a new set of Weber carburetors

  • Installation of period-style air cleaners

  • Brake system rebuilt

  • Furl pump rebuilt

  • Final engine tuning

Known Imperfections

• Some paint blemishes as shown in the gallery

Ownership History

The earliest known owner was a Mr. Storz in 1982, with additional details provided in the "Additional Information" section below.

Included Items

• Porsche Certificate of Authenticity

• $62,000 engine/transmission rebuild and additional servicing invoice from 2017 (see "Additional documents" section below)

Additional Information

The selling dealer relates the history of this 1965 Porsche 911: “The earliest known provenance dates back to 1982, when Mr. Storz owned the 911 until the late 1990s. In the early 2000s, ownership transferred to Mr. Barrington, during which time the 911 remained in use and was maintained. By 2014, the 911 had passed through the third owner, who performed a cosmetic restoration and repainted it in the original Champagne Yellow.”

“The current owner acquired the 911 nearly seven years ago and undertook further improvements focused on correctness and mechanical integrity. An early 1965-period engine (Type 901/01) was sourced, and it was completely rebuilt along with the transmission by a well-known Porsche independent. In 2017, the engine and transmission were removed, disassembled, inspected, and all worn parts were replaced as necessary, over $62,000 was spent. The connecting rods were rebuilt. The crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, flywheel, and clutch were all balanced. The engine case was inspected, machined, and tumbled; all the oil galleys were cleaned. The case is a standard align bore spec, and the oil bypass was modified. The cylinder heads, fuel pump, and distributor were rebuilt. A new set of forged early rocker arms were installed. The oil cooler was cleaned and restored. The fan was restored along with the fan housing. A new set of Mahle pistons/cylinders were installed. New set of main bearings, rod bearings, timing chain, timing chain sprocket, electric fuel pump, gasket set, oil filter, gear oil, spark plug wires, spark plugs, heat exchangers, and muffler were installed. The transmission had a new second gear assembly (main shaft), third gear assembly, fourth gear assembly, fifth gear assembly, pinion shaft, bearings, needle cage bearings, and clutch kit installed. The brakes and hub assembly were disassembled and rebuilt. The backing plates were detailed, the rotors and brake pads were replaced, and all four calipers were rebuilt. The master cylinder was replaced. All new brake lines were installed. The brake system was bled, and the calipers were exercised. The Nadella axles were restored. The oil tank was stripped, cleaned, and refinished. The fuel tank and fuel level sender were replaced, with all new fuel hoses installed. A new battery was installed, and a four-wheel alignment was done. The odometer was set to 0, and the 911 has been driven 522 miles since the mechanical rebuild.”

Recently, the selling dealer reportedly performed extensive cosmetic and mechanical work, including a paint correction, bare-metal detailing of the undercarriage and suspension, installation of a new set of Weber carburetors, correct-period air cleaners, rebuilding the fuel pump, and final engine tuning.