Just like Jeep, Land Rover, Volkswagen and other brands, Porsche was in the army vehicle-development game, with the 597 Jagdwagen 4×4.
However, since the automaker couldn’t meet the German army’s needs in the proposed time scale, the Jagdwagen, which translates into “hunting car”, was only put together in 71 examples, between 1955 and 1958, out of which 49 were built for the civilian market.
Tipping the scales at 990 kg (2,183 lbs), it is propelled by the same rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-four engine as the 356 sports car, and while earlier versions had a 1.5-liter mill, later ones put a 1.6-liter unit to the test, with a mere 50 HP, enough to allow it to go up to a top speed of roughly 100 km/h (62 mph). With a wheelbase of only 2,060 mm, the military Porsche could climb gradients as steep as 65 percent, and since the monocoque body lacks doors, it became semi-amphibious.
Almost 70 years after it was sold new in Germany for private use, it’s still drivable, and its cosmetic condition is described as “very good” by Bonhams, which is in charge of finding it a new home, after its current owner, who purchased it in Japan in 2012 with the intention of using it on his country estate, decided it’s too precious to be thrashed around.
The military Porsche will hit the auction block in September, and it’s expected to change hands for an estimated £170,000-£200,000 ($225,000-$264,000).
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