When it comes to design, it is often said that car companies “get it right” the first time.

The original lines are unencumbered, unmodified, and without the intrusion of safety regulations, or other impediments that distort the designer’s original vision. In that respect, no sports car design is more iconic than the 911 from Porsche. It is a shape so simple, yet so perfect and timeless, that it has remained virtually unchanged for over a half century.

The round headlights and a low-slung bonnet progress over a close-coupled coupe design, sloping downward evenly toward the tail, with little adornment to signal the power that lies beneath. The engine, as always, is mounted at the rear, a flat six-cylinder mated to a manual transmission. Aside from the advent of the Turbo, rear wings, and cooling ducts, little has changed from the very beginning. It is a form so beautifully proportioned and so exceptionally well balanced that it is widely regarded as the finest sports car in the world.

It is an exercise in German perfection responsible for the most stunning victories in motorsport the world over, from endurance racing and hill climbs, to the sands of northern Africa, the snow-covered roads of Scandinavia, and every possible surface in between. Whether on New York City streets or Alpine switchbacks, its distinct shape and raspy engine note immediately signal to the observer, that’s a 911.

Chassis number 302596 is an excellent example of this first-generation design. It is unquestionably one of the very best examples in the world, having remained with its original owners for nearly five decades, until 2012, finished in Light Ivory over Black leather, precisely the way it was born. In fact, it was 14 September 1965 when Paul and Helen Dickey walked into Vasek Polak’s Porsche dealership in Manhattan Beach, California, and signed their names on the bottom line for their new Porsche 911.

This is the heaviest optioned short-wheelbase 911 we have ever had the pleasure of presenting with the original sales invoice to support it. Optional equipment included a Webasto heater, outside thermometer, loudspeaker, electric antenna, tinted glass, Koni shocks, Phoenix tires, leather seats, air conditioning, dual headrests, seat belts, side mirror, and the original Solex carburetors (Webers were added in 1967), as well as the original dealer-installed compressor and engine lid coil. The documentation from new and the options, which include air conditioning, are all incredible, and the condition is stunning for a virtually unrestored car. Mr. Dickey’s care for the car is unbelievably well documented. He never worked on the car himself but utilized only the most trusted of mechanics. The 911 was serviced at Polak’s shop from the day it was new until late 1974, at which point several of his most talented mechanics founded their own shop, Andial, where the car was serviced thereafter.

By 1975 Paul’s 911 had accrued 95,000 miles and the original paint was no longer up to his very particular standards. He commissioned a refinishing at the cost of almost $3,000, an enormous sum in 1975. The condition of that paint today is a true testament to its quality. As presented, the car’s extensive historical documentation is joined by a tool kit, jack, original 911 brochure, and rare original Porsche factory A/C brochure. Original parts also come with the car, which permit the new owner to return the car to original configuration as desired. We understand the car has been fully serviced recently, as well.

A car of such exceptional documentation is rare unto itself, but it is particularly unusual when it is a first-generation 911 owned by the same family until 2012. It is a car we can rightly consider iconic and, as such, a Porsche with the tremendous potential for collectable value.