Brutus the 916 going to Paris in February, some lucky person will be the next owner Options

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Brutus is soon on its way to Paris for the retro automobile extravaganza and will be featured in the auction there. Some lucky person or organization will be the new owner
https://www.retromobile.com

Here are some interesting facts provided by its present owner:

The folowing are some important dates of history for the documentation of Brutus :

Original service date per Kraftfahrzeugbrief is February 11. 1971 with registration license LEO ZC1
Brutus was owned by Porsche and driven by Corina Piesch until the car was sold on April 29, 1974 to
Colonel Robert E. Hartvigsen for 27,500 DM
Brutus remained in Germany with Colonel Hartvigsen and was returned to the Porsche factory in late 1977 for a engine and transmission rebuild together with suspension rebuild and other repairs . An 5 page Porsche factory invoice dated January 19, 1978 outlines the factory rebuild at a total cost of 12,649 DM.
It is believed that in April 1978 Brutus was exported by the Colonel( who had been discharged from the military with the completion of his duty ) to America .
The importation and registration documentation would indicate that on June 23 1978 application was submitted for importation approval to the Department of Transportation in Washington DC USA. The approval was granted and the first American registration was granted in October 1978.
Brutus remained with the Colonel until his passing and was then stored for many years before being purchased and completely restored by the current owner.
Brutus has been displayed at
Amelia Island Concours
Porsche Noth America Headquarters Atlanta Ga
Petersen Museum Special Porsche Collection Los Angeles , California
Feature story in Porsche Panorama Magazine

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

Chassis n° 9141430195

- Factory-designed unique prototype
- The only Porsche 916 to be fitted with a 2.9L RSR engine from new
- Owned by Porsche for Corina Piëch’s use
- Exceptional restoration

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The Prototype for the 916, car used by Corina Piëch
1971 Porsche 916 prototype "Brutus"

"Brutus" : the explanation for the rather provocative name lies under the rear bootlid of this very special Porsche : an experimental flat-six 2.9-litre, mid-positioned factory engine, capable of over 300 bhp. It was given the nickname by Corina Piëch, whose father, Ferdinand Piëch, (Ferry Porsche’s nephew), was very involved in the development of touring and competition Porsche at that time, including the 917. This prototype car was designed with the aim of adding the power the 914 lacked, to compete with mid-engined sports cars like the Dino 246 GT. This also risked upsetting the 911’s career which was under threat at that time.

Brutus was the first prototype model of 11 cars built for this purpose. Although the cars used the 914/6 bodyshell (a model limited to 2-litres), everything else was heavily modified. Brutus was the only 916 to be equipped with a factory 2.9-litre injection RSR engine, whilst the other ten cars were given a 2.4-litre 911S engine. For this reason, a rev counter graduated to 10,000 rpm was installed and the car received a more sophisticated lubrication system. Brutus was also the only Porsche 916 to be given an 85-litre competition fuel tank. The others had a 100-litre tank positioned at the front that required strengthening bars. To add extra rigidity, the Targa roof was welded to the body.

Ultimately, this experiment by Ferdinand Piëch didn’t lead anywhere, probably because the car’s performance was so close to that of the 911. However, this first factory owned prototype remained in the family, given to Corina Piëch for her personal use. She drove it around for a few years, and had the interior modified several times by Tony Lapine’s design department.
In April 1974, this unusual car was sold for the sum of 27 500 DM to Colonel Robert E. Hartvigsen, then stationed with the Canadian forces in Lahr, Germany. In 1978, Brutus was sent back to the factory for a major overhaul of the running gear and suspension. Work was carried out to the engine and gearbox at the same time (Porsche invoice of 12 649 DM). In April 1978, when Colonel Hartvigsen’s assignment came to an end, Brutus was exported to the US, and the car was first registered in America in October 1978.
A Porsche certificate, dated 29 April 1974, states that this 916 was a « limited production model : less than 10 vehicles of this model were built between 1971 and 1972. » It also indicates that « the reason this car has a 914-6 chassis number is that the standard body of a 914-6 was used to build this original prototype. »
When the Colonel died, the car remained in storage for a number of years before being discovered by a big US collector, who sold it to the current owner, a serious enthusiast of Porsche competition cars. At that time, the odometer was at 46 000 km and the car was in poor condition. The presence of rust and some bad repairs necessitated a full body-off restoration and re-spray, which was carried out to the highest standards. Major mechanical work was also required, which was complex because of the particular engine and transmission. This work was carried out with the help of Drew Slaton (renowned US specialist for Porsche RSR). The owner also called on other specialists including Jürgen Barth and George Hussey, the great 914 expert who owned another 916 which was used as a model. For the interior, certain materials were sourced in Germany in order to maintain the car’s authenticity.
The work took three years and once finished, this Porsche 916 was presented at the Amelia Island concours d'élégance in March 2017. It was then exhibited at Porsche’s North American Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, for six months before being included in the marque retrospective at the superb Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.

The car is presented in exceptional condition today, thanks to its particularly thorough and careful restoration. It is a unique piece in Porsche history and a milestone in the marque’s evolution. It benefits from having transparent history and has been owned and driven by a member of the Porsche family. This is a car with a performance that was exceptional in its day. It will open doors for its new owner to all of the most prestigious historic events around the world.