THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM

Founded on 11 June 1994 by magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen, and his wife Margie, the Petersen Automotive Museum is owned and operated by the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation. Previously located within the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the museum is permanently housed in a historic department store originally designed by Welton Becket. The building opened in 1962 as a short-lived U.S. branch of Seibu department stores, before operating as an Ohrbach’s department store from 1965 to 1986. Six years after Ohrbach’s closed, Robert Petersen selected the site at the intersection of Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard as an ideal space for an automotive museum.

Having designed high-profile buildings throughout the world, the KPF thumbprint was on most major urban areas with one notable exception: L.A. Following a tour of the old museum, Gene Kohn began sending sketches to Petersen Vice Chairman David Sydorick. Instead of providing budget breakdowns and engineering data, the KPF presentation offered ideas about how an existing building could communicate speed and motion. Then KPF took a leap of faith: The architectural firm created a 3-D model of the daring design. The KPF model inspired community leader Peter Mullin to return to the Petersen in January 2013 as Chairman of the Board to steer the museum’s re-birth.

THE PORSCHE 911

Considered one of the most recognizable sports cars in the history of the automobile, the Porsche 911 debuted in September 1963 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. First called the 901, the new model was renamed the 911 when Peugeot claimed the worldwide trademark rights to all three-digit car model designations with a “0” as the middle number. Advanced in comparison to the Volkswagen-derived Porsche 356 engine, the newly designed Porsche 901/911 power unit was a two-liter, air-cooled flat-six that produced 130 hp. Acceleration from 0–60 mph was a brisk 8.3 seconds.

Immediately after the first Porsche 911 went on sale in September 1964, the 911 established itself as an icon of the decade. Seven generations later, the German sports car can still be found atop almost any “favorite sports car” list.

This exceptional and unrestored 911 was bought by its first owner Kenneth Fielding directly from Porsche in Germany and shipped to his home in Woodland, California. An early 1966 model, the car was completed on 22 September 1965 and delivered several weeks later on 5 October. Mr. Fielding’s 911 was finished in Polo Red (6602) over a black leatherette interior and optioned with a Webasto heater, tinted glass, antenna, loudspeaker, and one Talbot side-view mirror. After about 10 years and very few miles on the road, it was put away after a final outing to Monterey for the Porsche Parade in 1975.

The highly-original 911 was later acquired by Richard and Allison Roeder and Reed and Nan Harman of Los Angeles, California. They would go on to present their little jewel at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2013, where it was awarded Best in Class – Post-war Preservation.

The Porsche was subsequently donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum, for whose benefit it is being offered today. Exceptionally original, including its original engine and a correct-type gearbox, the car is presented in its original livery of Polo Red over black leatherette. This charming early production 911 would make a spectacular addition to any collection, and for a worthy cause, no less.