VW 39–the last of its kind

A stately 32 hp and a top speed of 145 km/h—the VW Beetle 39 was a high-speed prototype. Porsche built 14 of the pre-series vehicles. After its restoration, the last VW 39 is as good as new. There’s a good deal of Porsche in this Volkswagen. Discovered beneath war rubble, the car has been painstakingly restored. This ur-Beetle was specially designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and his son Ferry as a high-speed variant. Porsche built a total of 14 prototypes of the car in 1939. Around-the-world trip in a Porsche 928 S4? Not the only adventurous tour by Frenchman Philippe Delaporte: See all of Episode 11, “Extraordinary,” here: Buckle up and come along for the ride; all episodes are available here: