1963 Porsche Type 901 – Feature

Wipe that drool off your chin; it’s not going to be ready for almost a year and it won’t be cheap when it gets here. We’re talking about the Porsche Type 901 (see photo) to be introduced after a long, rumor-filled gestation period, at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

We still don’t know all there is to know about it. The engine is an air-cooled flat six of 1991 cc (80mm bore, 66mm stroke) with two chain-driven cams, one per bank, producing about: 140 SAE bhp at a rather high rpm (like 6500).

Though torsion bars are retained as the spring medium, the suspension and steering are substantially al­tered: front suspension is by wishbone with ball joints and rack and pinion steering; link-type suspension is used at the rear.

The body shows obvious influences of the short-lived Abarth marriage and was actually designed with wind tunnel testing (myth has it that the original Porsche was—’taint true). It features a lot more glass area, especially at the rear skylight, and a lot more suitcase space up front. The new body doesn’t taper as much in the rear, making room for bigger passengers or more luggage (choose one; it’s not supposed to be a three-or four-seater). Porsche owns sev­eral patents on fiberglass coachwork and it was thought that this might be the time they’d try it, but so far the only plastic Porsche has been a forerunner of the proposed GT variant of the 901.

And, Mabel, you won’t believe the price . . . (buzz-buzz, whisper-whis­per) . . . . All we’re told is that it’s enough to buy Tippecanoe and a Carrera 2.

A clever departure from both normal disc practice and Porsche’s past discs, the Ate brake features a hand-operated drum brake nestling within the normal-looking disc.

Meanwhile, the “standard” model continues gamely on with enough changes to warrant a new designa­tion (356-C, replacing the “B”). See the wheels on the 901? Same as on the 356-C. Lurking behind them, on all four wheels, are disc brakes. Porsche has claimed all along that its drum brakes are more than ade­quate, but obviously feels out of step with clever marketing gimmickry. Together with Dunlop-licensee Alfred Teves (Ate), Porsche has added an innovation of its own to solve an old problem: the rear discs have lit­tle drum brakes in the center (see illustration) for the hand-brake. Clever, these spear carriers, eh?

The cylinder heads have been revised on the Super and S-90 for more torque at lower rpm and for five more bhp on the S-90. The Super cam has been modified for greater flexibility with no loss of power and the 60 bhp Normal engine has been dropped altogether. The turn-and-turn-and-turn heater knob has at last been replaced by a lever inte­grated with the ventilating controls panel.

The rear springs have again been softened, the transverse compensator spring strengthened, the seats made firmer and the dashboard redesigned. Finally, a positive crankcase venti­lating system has been fitted to meet with current legislation about that sort of thing.