Forty Six: The Birth of Porsche Motorsport

tells the unlikely underdog story of the car that scored Porsche’s first racing victories and helped establish their commercial success: the 356/2 063. Beginning at the company’s post-World War II nadir, Bill Wagenblatt illuminates how Porsche rose from the ashes to overcome multiple trials and near-disasters to compete with this vehicle at Le Mans, the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, and Montlhéry, where they set new racing records in the 1950s. Wagenblatt follows the tale into the twenty-first century, making clear how the 356/2 063 helped set Porsche Motorsport on its way to becoming the juggernaut that we know today. Including a wealth of archival photos and documents that have never been before published, along with a unique look at the car’s US history, is the definitive history of one of Porsche’s most beloved and competitive racing champions.