Would You pay Porsche Turbo S Money for This Porsche?
How much money would you pay for a Porsche that looks like a toy car out of G.I Joe? Would you pay a few grand, a few hundred-grand, or would you pay the equivalent amount of money as a brand-spanking new Porsche Turbo S?
The Porsche Cayenne is a ridiculously good seller for the mythical German brand, making up a big chunk of their yearly sales worldwide, but believe it or not, the high-performance SUV wasn’t Porsche’s first rodeo with off-road capable vehicles. The German Army-issued Jagdwagen 4×4 was.
The Jagdwagen 4×4 came to be in the early fifties when the German Army assigned bids for the construction of a military vehicle prototype that could rival the likes of the American Jeep and the British Land Rover. It was a chance that Ferdinand Porsche didn’t want to pass up, as Mr. Porsche had already designed the VW Kübelwagen which was primarily used for military use during WWII, and therefore had a pretty darn good idea of what it took to build a decent off-roader.
The 597 Jagdwagen features the VW’s primarily design cues, such as the high sills, flat under-body and independent rear suspension, which made it perfect for water crossings and deep snow or mud. In fact, the 597 Jagdwagen could actually float because its design did not allow water to rush into the vehicle. (For the exception of a few leaks, of course).
One thing the charming little Porsche off-roader featured that the VW didn’t, was a 5-speed transmission that allowed for shift-on-the-fly between 4×2 and 4×4. Power came courtesy of a 1.5 litre flat-4 used in the Porsche 356, though it was later upgraded to a 1.6 liter engine that pumped out a little more horsepower and torque.
Believe it or not, the 597 Jagdwagen 4×4 never made it into full production, but 71 models were produced and eventually sold to the public. This particular model photographed is a 1953 model and has been privately owned since 1957. It will soon go up for auction at Bonham’s, and is expected to bring anywhere from $220,000 to $260,000, or the equivalent to a brand-new Porsche Turbo S.
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Photos & Story via: [Silodrome]
