This is probably the biggest Porsche-related controversy since Jerry Seinfeld bought and sold a fake Porsche, and then got sued.

This weekend, a car that’s widely believed to be the world’s first Porsche went up for auction.

It was expected to rake in more than $20 million so, understandably, it garnered a lot of attention.

More attention, in fact, than the carmaker wanted.

You see, they didn’t want it sold. They also didn’t want it referred to as a Porsche.

Here’s Business Insider:

“The Type 64 is neither the very first Porsche ever nor the very first Porsche that bears the letters Porsche on it,” Porsche Museum spokesperson Astrid Böttinger wrote in an email statement.

The confusion lies in the history of founder Ferdinand Porsche and his involvement with Volkswagen. When Ferry Porsche, son of Ferdinand Porsche, sold his Type 64, it was labeled a “Volkswagen Sport” in the contract.

In 1934 Ferdinand designed the KDf-Wagen, or the Volkswagen Beetle as we know it today, for Adolf Hitler. The plans for the Type 64 actually originate as a design for a better performing Beetle.

The design was resurrected after Porsche received a request from the National Socialist Motor Corps to produce three Sport KdF-Wagen examples for a planned race from Berlin to Rome.

Although the race never came to fruition, Porsche finally saw his Type 64 come to life, although the car was still made under Volkswagen.

“The Type 64 is kind of a forerunner of all Porsche sports cars,” wrote Böttinger.

The company actually marks The Porsche 356 (below) as the first Porsche created.

So how did the 64 get its Porsche lettering?

The Type 64 instead received its Porsche letters during the Innsbruck City Race in July 1948. While Porsche entered the 356 “No. 1” Roadster during the demonstration lap, the Type 64 then owned by Ferry Porsche was driven as a chase car.

Because the Type 64 was being driven for the race, Porsche put the letters on the Type 64 for marketing purposes, according to the Head of the Historic Archive at Porsche Museum Frank Jung. And as far as he now knows, the letters were taken down right after the race.

I just want to point out that something quite special is happening here.

This might just be the first time in the history of the automobile industry that people have confused a Beetle for a Porsche, which brings us to the auction.

According to CNN, the undisclosed minimum placed on the car was never reached so it has remained unsold. There was also a mix-up with the opening bid.

…the auctioneer called out an opening bid of $13 million but the large screen behind, which which showed the current bid price, showed $30 million.

Many in the audience gasped and others laughed. It was unclear from the auctioneer’s voice that he was, in fact, saying “-teen” and not “-ty.” The problem continued right through $14 million, which was displayed as $40 million then $15 million was shown on the screen as $50 million. The board read $70 million before the auctioneer realized the trouble just behind him and asked for it to be corrected.

Some in the audience booed as the price was corrected. After that, the bids stopped coming and the sale was hammered to a close at $17 million dollars.

Oops.

RM Sotheby’s says it was an honest mistake.

If they had managed to sell the car for $17 million, it would have been the highest price ever paid for a car with the ‘Porsche’ name.

It still wouldn’t be a Porsche, though.

[source:businessinsider]