A complete flop
On 19 January 1953, the German Armed Forces published the specifications for a light commercial vehicle to replace the Volkswagen Type 82 (Kübelwagen) and Type 86 (Schwimmwagen). Auto Union, Borgward and Porsche (surprisingly, Volkswagen did not). Porsche naturally saw itself at an advantage, as Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) had already designed the two predecessors. The design of the vehicle, known as the Type 597, followed Porsche’s familiar pattern. At the rear was the air-cooled boxer engine from the 356, initially with a displacement of 1.5 litres, later 1.6 litres. The engine was modified for durability, retaining 50 hp. It was shifted via a 5-speed gearbox, the front-wheel drive could be engaged, and there was a ZF differential lock at the rear. The wheels were individually suspended, at the front on a crank arm, at the rear on a pendulum axle, with torsion bars providing the suspension.
It was a tiny vehicle that Porsche sent to the army for testing, measuring 3.62 metres long, 1.61 metres wide, 1.61 metres high, with a wheelbase of 2.06 metres and weighing 990 kilograms. During initial test drives in 1955, its robustness, simplicity and ease of maintenance were praised. But then things took a turn for the worse for Porsche. The suspension was disappointing, the interior was too small, and there were all kinds of engine problems. The rear engine was rated extremely negatively by the army specialists, as were the steering characteristics. A year later, things got even worse: the Type 597 still had significant defects, including cracks in the bodywork, starter motor defects, axle shaft breaks when off-road, oil leaks, windscreen wiper defects and a cracked clutch cable. Other complaints included an excessively loud engine, a windscreen that was too small, rattling seats, inadequate entry and exit, and pedals that were too close together.
So that was that, and the German Armed Forces ordered the DKW Munga. Porsche had to bear costs of 1.8 million Deutschmarks, and attempts were made to sell the ‘hunting car’ to civilians, but after around 70 models had been built, Stuttgart realised that the project had failed. However, in 1959, there were still considerations to launch the vehicle with a reinforced platform frame, longer wheelbase and in different body variants. But nothing came of that either. It is not known how many of these Porsche Type 597s have survived. The vehicle shown here, one of 22 prototypes for the German Armed Forces, was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in 2022 for an incredible $665,000.
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