User:Sangrok918/1966 Bertone Porsche 911 Spyder

The Porsche Bertone Spyder is a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive sports convertible that was designed by Nuccio Bertone under the commission of California automobile dealer Johnny Von Neumann. It was based on a Porsche 911, where its bare metal chassis was sent to Carrozzeria Bertone in Torino for a complete restyling. It was completed in about 9 months, and was exhibited at Geneva Auto Show.

The Origin
After Max Hoffman convinced Porsche to build a 356 speedster that resulted in generating popularity among convertible buyers, southern Californian customers wanted an open-top version of the brand's newest model, the Porsche 911. Porsche, during that period, did not produce a convertible version of 911 due to the excessive amount of chassis flex, therefore contradicting the original intention of the vehicle itself. Johnny Von Neumann, the owner of Competition Motors in California, realized the need for a convertible 911 in the California market and approached Nuccio Bertone, who was head and designer of Carrozzeria Bertone at the time. Bertone agreed to do the design for a 911 convertible, as he has prior experience in designing rear-engine layout convertibles, including the Fiat 850 spider.

Then, Neumann went to Porsche headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Germany to discuss the matter of production. Ferry Porsche, Chairman of the Porsche at that time, was not positive about the idea of Italian-built Porsche. Despite the fact that Von Neumann was funding the entire project by himself, Porsche declared that it would make the final decision as to whether or not the model was going to be built.

The Design
The bare 911 chassis, chassis number #13421, was sent out to Milan, Italy where Carrozzeria Bertone was located. After nine months, Bertone finished the construction of the 911 Spyder, which was finished in Carmine red exterior and cream interior. Both exterior and interior were dramatically changed, tailored to Nuccio Bertone's style. In order to achieve a low cowl height, instruments, including the speedometer and RPM gauge, have been moved to the center console, and rear seats were deleted. Most of the interior elements were covered in leather, including its unique seats. Exterior-wise, the headlamps were hidden inside a flip-able cover. The side character lines were changed, and an air duct was created right above the centerline of the rear quarter panel. The rear quarter has been raised at the end, in order to accommodate both air-cooled engine and a soft top. Rear lamps were also completely different from those of 911.

The Aftermath
It was then sent to the 1966 Geneva Auto Show in order to be shown next to the Porsche 911 Targa. There were a few inquires for the model at the show, but none of them were solid orders. At issue was the fact that the 911 Spyder cost $8,000, compared to the Targa, with a considerably lower $6,170 price tag. As a result, the model never hit Zuffenhaussen's production line.

After the vehicle was done with show duties, it was then shipped to Von Neumann, and stayed with him for the number of years until it was sold to the second owner, who is still unknown. After that, it was then sold to automobile collector Mark Smith of Lynchburg, Virginia. He repainted the whole vehicle, changing its color to a black exterior over ivory interior. The car was then exhibited at 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where the designer, Nuccio Bertone, was honored. Marv Tonkin, an automotive dealer who owned Marv Tonkin Ford, purchased the vehicle from Mark Smith sometime in the1990s. He then sold the car to its current owner in 1993.

The vehicle originally had a 2.0-Liter, 130 HP flat 6 that came with the standard 911, but it later was upgraded to the 160 HP engine of the 911S, engine number #960340, which was a high-performance model that was introduced in 1967.

2018 Pebble Beach Auction
In 2018, the vehicle was sold for $1.43 Million at the 68th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Auction.