CHAPTER

Saga of a Gmnd Porsche

Thinking of himself as the current custodian of 356/2-040, Jerry Seinfeld did
not want anything done that would be frowned upon in the future when
viewed from a historical perspective.

mong the many collections dedicated

to Porsche cars, that of actor/comedian
Jerry Seinfeld has a special personality.
First, Seinfeld likes to collect an early and
a late example of each version as a way
of illustrating the technical and styling
changes that the model underwent during its production life. Second, Seinfeld is a strong believer that his
cars should be exercised regularly on the road or the
track and not simply parked on the 18th green or under
museum spotlights. Seinfeld can often be found driving
his Porsches through the streets of Long Island, up and
down the hills of Santa Monica and around the track
at Daytona.
Although the Seinfeld collection of Porsches spans
the timeline of the air-cooled 356 and 911 models,
early in 2002 Jerry perceived a gap in the collection
that he wanted to fill. He already had several 356s
including a 1958 pushrod Speedster, a 1959 Carrera GT
Speedster and an original 2,000-mile 1965 SC Coupe.
But none of these examples could speak for the very
beginning of the 356 lineage. As a result he initiated
a search for an example of an aluminum 356 built in
Austria during the late 1940s. During the course of
that year Seinfeld inspected several cars but was not
satisfied with what he saw. Though many had been
restored to a very high level, they didnt speak to him of
the originality he desired in a car for his collection. Nor
were all owners of these rare early Porsches eager to
part with their historic cars.
In early March of 2003 Sam Cabiglio, the primary
facilitator behind the Seinfeld Porsche collection, was
visiting Europe. During a casual conversation Cabiglio
heard that an unusual example of a Gmnd car might be

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available. After returning to the States he made several

follow-up phone calls to assess the subject cars provenance as well as its current condition and availability.
With Jerry Seinfelds support, Cabiglio traveled to
Vienna on March 20. Sam inspected the car the following day at a factory owned by number 40s then-owner
Franz Rathkolb. Cabiglio already knew much about this
cars unique history but did not quite expect to see the
level of unreconstructed originality displayed by the
coupe before him. Its look of a battered veteran was
owed to 356/2-040s distinctive history, not to willful
neglect of a 54-year-old Porsche.
Sam Cabiglio was impressed by the car after being
given the opportunity to drive it. He took note of the
documentation Rathkolb had and also the example of
an engine that was also in Rathkolbs possession. He
took numerous photographs, expressed keen interest
to Rathkolb and stated that he would quickly relate
to Seinfeld what he had seen. Thats what Sam did
that night during a phone call from his hotel. The cars
originality and extraordinary provenance got Jerry
Seinfelds attention.
Returning to the U.S., Cabiglio shared his photographs with Seinfeld, who was quickly convinced that
this Porsche would make an excellent addition to his
collection. Sam had been quoted a price by Rathkolb
before his trip to Vienna so a starting point for negotiation was already on the table. Communication by
phone and e-mails established a value that satisfied
both seller and buyer.
Later in 2003 a blue-tailed Lufthansa 747 cargo
jet landed at Los Angeles carrying a Gmnd Porsche
with chassis number 356/2-040. Sam Cabiglio was on
(text continued on page 216)

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This sighting documented in the Porsche Salzburg

report is consistent with 356/2-040s first official
registration for the road, which was submitted by
Porsche Konstruktionen GmbH on December 9, 1951.
It listed the chassis and body as dating from 1950 and
the engine as being made in 1951. Running on factory
plates, after its completion in the latter months of 1950
the car had been used as a test vehicle for various

Shown here with the more

modern wheels and tires
that were later fitted
to many of the Gmnd
Porsches, this was one of
the aluminum 356/2 cars
first owned by Otto Math.
After Maths death in 1995
it would eventually make
its way into Jerry Seinfelds
collection.

(Previous two spreads)

Automotive photographer
Michael Furman captured
the texture and personality
of Jerry Seinfelds Porsche
356/2-040 in these portraits
taken just as the preservation
work was being completed.
The roof rack was a custom
accessory delivered with
the car to Otto Math.

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CHAPTER 8

hand to meet the plane although no special EPA, DOT

or other import requirements were applicable due to
the cars age. A quick inspection determined what was
needed to make the car driveable and reliable on the
road, followed by some initial work on the Porsche.
Seinfeld was interested in getting behind its wheel as
soon as possible, so the car was shipped to his Manhattan garage for Jerry to enjoy.

356/2-040 Provenance
Although indisputably a Gmnd production coupe,
chassis 356/2-040 is one of several enigmatic chassis
numbers whose delivery details are unrecorded in the
list of chassis manufactured at the Karnerau works. The
underlying reason for this is that the list was compiled
not later than 1951, while chassis number 40 wasnt
released by Porsche until December of 1953. Only
then did it cease being a Gmnd test car and pass into
private hands.
Thanks to contributions by contemporaries and
research by Franz Rathkolb, Marco Marinello, Paul Rus-

With trophy and victors

wreath atop his Porsche
tow car none other than
356/02-040 a pleased Otto
Math posed in front of Zell
am Sees Grand Hotel. Races
on the frozen lake were a
big local attraction.

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sell, Jerry Seinfeld and others, the provenance of the

Seinfeld 356/2 has been established. Some details of
this process are worth our attention. One source was
Ernst Pich, Ferdinand Porsches eldest grandson, who
was active for many years at Porsche Salzburg. Chassis 356/2-040, he advised, was the last handmade
Porsche in aluminum out of the Gmnd production. The
motor is from a later date and out of the production
from Stuttgart .
This meant not that number 40 was the last to be
made, but rather that it was the last to leave the Porsche/
Pich nest for a private home. A Porsche Salzburg progress report of June 16, 1950, showed the chassis as one
of four in its workshops for which all necessary components were available for assembly save one engine.
Four other cars were in process of completion while nine
coupes were still at Gmnd, lacking the Volkswagen
parts needed to finish them. For the most part these
were the cars being prepared to meet the Swedish order
from Scania-Vabis. Gmnd also had two coupe frames
and one completed chassis ready for testing. One more
coupe was being completed by Tatra in Vienna.

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Austrian components that were being considered by

the remaining Gmnd engineers for the 356/2 chassis.
The tests covered a variety of assemblies over differing mileages. Brake cables from the Stckel company
were assessed for 2,092 miles and clutch linings from
Klinger for 620 miles. The same companys brake linings, tested in number 40 for 2,351 miles, were judged
(text continued on page 220)

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SAGA OF A Gmnd

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The bizarre appendages

attached to the 356/2-040s
roof-top rack were the
fenders of Otto Maths
Fetzenflieger (see sidebar),
removed for events in which
they werent needed.

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CHAPTER 8

Another view of the paddock for the ice races at

Zell am See saw Maths
trailer in the foreground,
carrying the fenders that his
single-seater needed when
competing as a sports car.
356/2-040 is filling its role as
a tow-car here.

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(Above) With Porsche

Salzburgs VW Kombi in the
foreground, Porsche 346/2040 was parked next to Otto
Maths racing single-seater
at Zell am See. Math was
not greatly worried about its
appearance.

The competition in the Zell

am See Professor Ferdinand
Porsche Memorial Races
included standard Germanbuilt Type 356 Porsches. The
Math single-seaters front
wheels were of Berlin-Rome
VW 60K10 origin.

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SAGA OF A Gmnd

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marrying it with a bore size in excess of the 80 mm that

Ferry Porsche regarded as the limit with the basic VW
engine. In fact the bore and stroke given amount to
only 1,453 cc. In Type 356 production no bore larger
than the 1600s 82.5 mm would be used.

Loaded up for departure

from Zells Grand Hotel,
356/2-40s roof rack carried
the racing cars studded
tires. With their help the
little Porsche-powered racer
was virtually unbeatable.

The Nuts and Bolts of Preserving 356/2-040

This Porsche was over fifty years old when Jerry Seinfeld took possession. In the hands of Otto Math (see
sidebar) it had seen rough usage. Consequently it was
no surprise that many areas needed maintenance and
repair. But Seinfeld was not looking for 356/2-040 to be
restored; he wanted it preserved. At the recommendation of fastidious collector Ralph Lauren he contacted
Paul Russell and Company of Essex, Massachusetts.
The Paul Russell firm had done award-winning
restoration work on several of Laurens cars. One of
Paul Russells well-deserved awards was for a 1955
Porsche 550 Spyder which won the Preservation Award
at the 1991 Porsche Parade. Thus it seemed that this
shop would be qualified to handle the work needed to
make 356/2-040 usable and enjoyable while maintaining its patina.
In July of 2003 Jerry Seinfeld contacted Alex

Finigan at Paul Russell and Company. Together they

established a list of the preservation issues that had
to be addressed. Jerry emphasized that he wanted no
irreversible changes to be made. Thinking of himself as
the current custodian of 356/2-040, Seinfeld didnt want
anything done that would be frowned upon in the future when viewed from a historical perspective. Before
delving into the entrails of number 040 the Paul Russell
team visited, discussed and photographed several
Gmnd coupes in American collections. Miles Collier
and Scott George at the Collier Collection assisted, as
did Jim Barrington, Gary Kempton and Dave Seeland.
Fortunately neither body nor chassis were found to
need much attention. In its long life with both Porsche
and Math the coupe had apparently never suffered
significant accident damage. Also there was minimal
rust on the steel doors and chassis and little electrolytic
corrosion where the aluminum body was riveted to the
chassis. Although the body is now painted silver, the
car may well have been repainted during its life. The
interior, including the insides of the doors, shows traces
of both gray and blue paint.
Russells work on the ex-Math coupe was revelatory of the way in which the Gmnd coupes were
(text continued on page 224)

the best linings weve ever had for our sports car.
British shock absorbers were tested as well, as were
transmission components.1
The reports on these tests indicate that they constituted a wrapping-up of the trials undertaken at Gmnd,
since it was obvious by mid-1950 that no more cars
would be made there. With the Karnerau staff winding down, the tests were reported on as a matter of
record, not for actioning. On several reports the author
pointed out that in any case the materials in question

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1
The report on the tests on units from Universal Dampers,
Ltd. of London included the following sentence: Since the chassis
had to be scrapped because of material shortages, the experimental department took possession of the shock absorbers. Neither
the reference to the scrapping of the chassis nor the reason given
for its scrapping is readily explicable. If in fact the cars original
frame was subsequently scrapped, it was clearly replaced with another, still bearing the same chassis number, the cars identity thus
remaining the same.

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wouldnt be available for the cars that were being made

in Germany.
The use of 356/2-040 for testing was confirmed
by Herbert Kaes, who joined the Pichs at Porsche
Salzburg and oversaw technical activities there. This
automobile was not sold immediately, Kaes wrote
in 1998, but was granted to the Porsche Salzburg
companythe Pich familyand for a certain time was
retained internally for test purposes (testing of the new
brake system for the 1952 model and testing of the new
1,500 cc engine Type 527) and racing purposes before
it was then sold to Mr. Otto Math in Innsbruck.
This explains why the cars December 1951 registration in Salzburg lists it as having an engine of 1,485
cc with dimensions of 85 x 64 mm. The VW-based four
installed at the time was a highly experimental unit
built as part of the Type 502 project, launched in July
of 1950, to create a 1.5-liter engine for the Zuffenhausen Porsches. It kept the standard Volkswagen stroke,

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Complete and original

though it was when it arrived in the United States,
Porsche 356/2-040 would
need a lot of tender loving
care to make it operational.
Fortunately such talents
were available.

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alex finigan

My Experience with 356/2-040

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Ive owned over 50 Porsche 356s since buying my first

in 1969 and I have five in my garage now. Ive got a soft
spot in my heart (head?) for these early Porsches that
I cant really describe. It evolved from my love of old
VWs and Ive never been without a 356 since my first.
Through my job at Paul Russell and Company Ive been
very fortunate to have been involved with most of the
European classic sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s
and I still hold the 356 above the rest. As Ive said many
times, its a disease with no cure.
Like all 356 fanatics Id been aware of Gmnd
number 040 through many articles and sightings over
the years. But I was never really focused on the very early
cars. They just never really caught my attention. That was
until 2003, when Jerry Seinfeld contacted us about doing
a sympathetic preservation of his newest acquisition.
When the car arrived at Paul Russell and Company
it simply blew us away. We spent days going over it,
putting it up on the lift and inspecting it before we ever
touched it. We photographed it and made many de-

their way to the middle. It was wonderfulexposed

welds, different lamp heights, odd window openings.
The cars oddities made us curious enough to go
back and look at old photos in the books. Of course it
was odd: it was built in a sawmill with almost no tools
or equipment after a devastating world war by a small
company with very limited resources. They were lucky
to build anything, much less a car that would turn out to
be an icon of the sports-car world.
Going back to the car after doing some research
gave us a new respect for what we had in front of us.
The challenge was to preserve the Porsche for generations, without making it better than it was. It is usually
much easier to restore a car than it is to preserve one
accurately. Replacing old parts and upholstery using
modern materials and technology is faster, and usually cheaper, than repairing or rebuilding the original
using the old-school techniques. But Jerry was the ideal
owner/customer in that respect. In fact I knew from his
story about polishing the windshield with peanut butter
that he would have the interest and the patience for a
meticulous preservation.
Jerry came to the shop numerous times to discuss
the progress and direction of the project. He was as
excited as a little kid when the smallest original details
were pointed out to him. That excitement spread to
the crew too. Once the car started to come apart, you
could almost sense how the original builders were
thinking and why they did things certain ways. This car
was a test mule before being sold to Math and the
documented changes would make your head spin.
The challenge here was to do the car over as
crudely as it had been done originally. And by that I
mean the quality of the welds, the wiring, the upholstery, etc. The panel fits were horrible. Looking back in
the books, thats the way they were originally. So we
just didnt touch them.
The interior was a real challenge, trying to preserve
50-year-old material. New stuff just wouldnt look right.
Some of the vinyl looked like it was out of a 1950s
diner, material you couldnt find if you tried. The object
was for the end product to look like it hadnt been
touched. Most restored Gmnds are restored to a state
that is far superior to the way they looked when they
first came off the production line. Jerry definitely did
not want that.
As my appreciation of the earlier cars grew, I began
to think of the mindset of the builders. Americans at
the time were back to mass-producing autos stamped
out on a production line to fairly high standards while

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tailed notes about how it was built. To say its condition

was good would be a gross understatement. Here was
a car that was driven hard for over 50 yearsas a test
mule and then as Otto Maths work car and tow car
yet it showed almost no rust or accident damage.
Having said that, it had not been very well maintained in the last dozen or so years before it was
purchased by Jerry Seinfeld. After Otto Maths racing
career was over the car sat in his garage in dead storage, only occasionally being brought out for special
events until his death in 1996. Then it was sold to the
collector who eventually sold it to Jerry. He told us
that the Plexiglas windows were so cloudy you could
barely see through them. Rather than replace them, his
detailer spent untold hours polishing them with peanut
butter to make them clear again.
One of the things that surprised us when we first
went over the car was how crudely it was made. There
wasnt a symmetrical line on the whole body. It literally
looked like four guys started on each corner and worked

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these guys were banging out bodies over a wooden

buck in an outbuilding. Amazing. In the old photos
you can see the determination in their faces. The 356
cars themselves caught the automotive community by
storm. These little air-cooled wonders bested cars of
much larger displacement. The Porsche legend began
to grow.
When we finished our restoration of Porsche
Gmnd coupe 356/2-040 it debuted at the second
Rennsport Reunion in Daytona Beach, Florida. Even
parked among some pretty rare and spectacular
Porsches, 040 stopped the most diehard Porsche
enthusiasts dead in their tracks. As soon as they walked
past 040 people knew this was it: one of the earliest
cars that started it all. It was crudely built, slow, bordering on uglyand everyone loved it!
I spent the day with Jerry, talking to other enthusiasts who stopped to admire the car and look at the
photo album documenting the cars history. I never got
bored. Im proud to have been part of this cars history.
And particularly pleased to have played a role in preserving it in its original condition so that generations to
come can look at it and see first-hand how the Porsche
legacy began.
The head of Classic Car Sales at Paul Russell
and Company, Alex Finigan is the consummate
car guy. A boyhood spent treasuring the latest
car magazine led him to open his own Porsche
restoration business in upstate New York. By the
late 1970s he found himself spinning wrenches
in Marblehead, Massachusetts, restoring 1950s
Mercedes-Benz alongside Paul Russell. An essential founding member and equity partner of Gullwing Service Company, Inc., Alex spent his first
decade there displaying his mechanical talents
on 300SL roadsters and coupes. Eventually the
business expanded its undertaking to offer full
restoration services on other European classics
and changed its name to Paul Russell and Company, where Alex has offered expert guidance to
classic car collectors for over three decades. Alex
was project manager for the preservation work
that Jerry Seinfelds Gmnd coupe underwent at
Paul Russell and Company, and he was thrilled to
discover a very active and enthusiastic collaborator in 040s owner. A member in good standing
of all the local car clubs, Alex spends most of
his free time tinkering with his Deuce Coupe or
Porsche Speedsters in his custom-built garage.

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The visible seam welds on

040 are an indication of the
hand-built and relatively
unrefined condition of these
first aluminum Porsches. A
roof seam is shown here
(top). The photo of the front
fender shows another weld
seem along with the evidence
of hand-hammered body
shaping.

While replacing the lenses

for the beehive turn indicators, 040s center-mounted
tail lamp assembly was
dismantled and found to be
in fine working order.

originally fabricated. The aluminum sheets used for the

body are approximately 0.062 inch or 1.5 mm thick. For
the bumpers, doors and dash Porsche decided on steel
of approximately 22 gauge. The body surfaces were
hand-hammered to shape and fitted over a wooden
buck by highly skilled metal craftsmen. That this was
the final metal-shaping step on 356/2-040 is shown by
bumps and weld seams that are obvious. The handformed aluminum panel sections closely correlate with
the patterns of the stamped-steel pieces later used by
Reutter in Stuttgart.
Additional metal-finishing steps must have been
performed because paint alone couldnt hide the rough
surface of the body immediately following its formation on the buck. Hand planishing was the most likely
method, although it is slow, tedious work that requires
great skill. Planishing wouldnt eliminate the weld-seam
irregularities so filing was probably done in these areas.
An alternative to hand planishing would be the use
of filler, but todays fiber fillers were not yet available.
Lead can be used as filler on a steel body, as was later
done at Reutter, but this material cannot be used with
aluminum. When 356/2-040 was in his possession,
Franz Rathkolb discussed this topic with Herbert Kaes.
Kaes told him that they had a great deal of difficulty in
completely hand-finishing the Gmnd cars, thus leading
to experiments with fillers.
Addressing the other external preservation needs
of 356/2-040, the only issue was sourcing correct lenses
for the beehive turn indicators. Used on multiple
Porsches of the period, a pair was located in Europe.
Jack Styles led the sourcing of parts and materials for
the preservation project. The unusual center-mounted,
amber-red tail-lamp assembly was in acceptable condition. Similar to those used on some prewar European
cars, this type of lamp must have been available as an
off-the-shelf item in its day.
Paul Russell and Company focused considerable
attention on the cars drive train to ensure reliability.

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The cars engine was removed and freshened up. The

aluminum case was split and the camshaft and crankshaft were replaced. The bore and stroke were measured and found to be acceptable so the engines existing cylinders, pistons, and piston rings were reinstalled.
For the cylinder heads new valve seats and springs were
installed and a minimum fly-cut done to ensure a good
seal between the heads and the cylinders. The rest of
the engine was completely disassembled and subjected
to thorough cleaning and inspection.
The fuel pump, Solex 26 VFJ carburetors and the
Bosch distributor were rebuilt in the name of reliability.
To restore a sense of the original appearance the engine sheet metal was shot-blasted and repainted. Old
pieces were cleaned by hand to revive the finish and
then a color match achieved. Most of the original colors
are semi-gloss black except for silver valve covers and a
light gray for the muffler and exhaust. No heater boxes
were fitted to the coupe although hot-air channels into
the passenger compartment were provided.
The transaxle was removed and shipped to Gary
Kempton of GK Restorations in Crawfordville, Florida
for restoration. Kempton noted that what he received
was a post-1954 VW case with synchromesh on all four

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The engine was disassembled and cleaned while at

Paul Russell and Company.
The engines serial number
can be seen stamped on the
engine block (at left) and
is a match to the factory
technical specifications for
chassis number 356/2-040
(see documents in
Appendix 1).

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gears. Obviously not in the car when it left Porsche

Salzburg, this modification in favor of drivability must
have been made by Otto Math.2
The Porsches VW worm-and-nut steering box
could safely be used with a cleanup and change of
fluid. In 1949 VW was still using cable-operated brakes,
which were carried over to the 356s built in Austria.
Documentation confirms that 356/2-040 was originally
equipped with mechanical brakes and was used for
testing different cables and linings.
Subsequently 356/2-040 was fitted with hydraulic
brakes, using 230 mm brake drums with pressed-on
fins. Like the later 356s, its front brakes use dual wheel
cylinders activating two leading shoes for optimum
retardation. Number 40s brakes are unique, however,
in having been modified from the standard car. At both
front and rear its backing plates have two patterns
of drilled holes to allow entry and exit of cooling air.
A crude scoop covers the forward series of holes to
sweep air into the brake when the car is moving. A
screen covers the holes to keep road debris out of
the drum.
2
The author has some sympathy for this change. When the
crash box of his 1951 Porsche 1300 expired, he had a more modern VW transaxle fitted. Math may well have made the change for
the same reason.

CHAPTER 8

Fuse blocks are seen prior

to preservation work.

These photos show the unique backing plates on the front and rear brake
drums installed on 040. These backing
plates are shown before preservation
on the left, and after preservation on
right. The drilled holes accommodate
cooling air, assisted by the scoop to
sweep air in when the car is moving.
The screens (top right) keep road
debris out of the drum.

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The rear suspension also manifests changes from

standard. Although its basic torsion-bar system and
lever-action dampers are identical to other Porsches
built prior to the spring of 1951, 356/2-040 also uses
telescopic rear dampers that are not prototypes of any
Porsche design. The bottom of each damper bolts to
a crude plate that attaches at the location where the
axle meets the radius arm from the torsion bar, using
workmanship not representative of the Porsche standard. These atypical rear shocks may be an alteration
made by Math to facilitate his use of number 40 as a
workhorse. There are photos of it hauling race tires and
towing Maths Fetzenflieger to winter races (as shown
in this chapter).
In addition to dismantling, inspecting and rebuilding mechanical components on Jerry Seinfelds coupe,
the Paul Russell team led by Alex Finigan gave special
attention to the electrical system to ensure reliability.
The wiring had spans that appeared unsafe and needed
to be renewed. Corrosion was dealt with at most of
the electrical connections to avoid a failure-prone sixvolt electrical system. Gene at YnZs assisted with the
Porsches wiring loom.
The cars minimal instrumentation has seen displacement in the process of the cars transformation
from left-hand drive to right-hand for Otto Math, and

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included adding carpeting, headliner, seats with cloth

centers and padded door panels.
Wear and tear was evident everywhere on this
50-year-old material when the car arrived in the U.S.
The team at Paul Russells shop turned to professional
carpet restorer Marion Petescu at Carpathian Oriental
Rugs to address the fraying and holes. She worked
miracles by hand-stitching new fiber wherever there
was a problem. It takes minute examination of the final
result to see where any restoration work was done on
the carpeting.
The leather seats suffered from the drying out of
their stitching and stuffing but could be salvaged. Paul
Russells in-house upholstery expert, Derrick Dunbar,
preserved the period look of the bench seats with careful resewing and restuffing. Except for the lower portions around their pockets, the door panels were also
in satisfactory condition. Larger gaps were closed by
stealing material from nonvisible areas and restitching it
at existing seams. When everything was reinstalled the
car retained its original patina while the gross damage
had been corrected. The hope is that the preservation
work will slow down or eliminate further degradation of
this historic artifact.
Worn areas in the cars
carpet were painstakingly
rewoven by hand during the
preservation process.

With the wheel converted

back to its original lefthand-drive position, the
hole to the right of the large
speedometer was used for
the ignition switch while
the car was in right-handdrive configuration for Otto
Math.

228

CHAPTER 8

then back to left-hand drive again at some point. At the

time Jerry Seinfeld took ownership of the car a large
6,000 rpm tachometer was directly in front of the driver
and a 200 km/h speedometer of the same size mounted
in the glove-box face in front of the passenger. Both
gauges were made by Veglia with green numerals on
a black background. Redline on the tachometer was
set at 4,500 rpm. The gauges were sent to North Hollywood Speedometer & Clock for expert refurbishing
while the car was with Paul Russell.
Two holes in the glove box on either side of the
speedometer provide positions for the ignition switch
that suit a steering wheel on either the left or the right.
Centrally located are four prominent warning lamps.
The large, white plastic surround of each lamp makes it
look like something from a childs toy but these lamps
are common to other 356/2 Porsches. On the left is a

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green oil-pressure warning, on the top is a blue lamp

for high beams, on the right is a red light indicating the
generator output and at bottom is a yellow lamp reserved for fog lamps if they are installed at some point
in the future.
Below these four lamps are three switches. The left
one is for the interior, the center one is for the instruments and the right switch turns on the wipers. The
headlamp switch is the only one that fails to support
right/left drive symmetry. It is located between the
centerline and the leftmost gauge.
According to previous owner Franz Rathkolb,
Herbert Kaes recalled that the interior of 356/2-040
was absent most upholstery when it was being used
as a Porsche Gmnd test vehicle. Confirmation comes
from an invoice that shows basic decor being added at
Maths request during December of 1953. The work

PR

Upholstery expert Derrick

Dunbar coordinated the
gentle preservation of the
original upholstery while
040 was at Paul Russell and
Company.
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SAGA OF A Gmnd

P orsche

West Coast Tune-Up

Porsche 356/2-040 made its post-preservation debut at
Rennsport Reunion II at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, April 23, 2004. Thereafter it returned
to California, where it soon became evident that more
mechanical work was needed to adapt 040 to the kind
of active driving Jerry Seinfeld had in mind. For this
work he turned to Adrian Gang of Edelweiss Porschaus
in Torrance, California.
When Adrian got behind 040s wheel he immediately noticed its awkward driving position. As Gang put
it, it was like driving a golf cart designed for a jockey.
His knees were up against the steering wheel, which
was crushed into his chest. As well he found the clutch
action very stiff, disproportionately so for such a small
engine. Gangs mission was to make the Porsche comfortable and safe to drive while respecting Seinfelds
desire to preserve his cars originality.
After closely examining the Porsches mechanicals,
Gang could see that 040 had been subjected to many
modifications over the years, some of which had been
made quite crudely. The most egregious of these was
the reconversion from right-hand drive back to lefthand drive.
The pedal cluster was of an unknown makenot
a Porsche or Volkswagen clusterand had been
modified in a way that. forced the drivers feet into an
awkward position. As well, the tubes housing the clutch
(Above) The pedal cluster
that was in the car when
Jerry Seinfeld took ownership was not a Porsche or
a Volkswagen cluster, but
most likely an artifact of
Otto Maths modifications.

The mood was celebratory

when Porsche 356/2-040
made its post-preservation
debut in April 2004 at the
Rennsport Reunion in Daytona, Florida. Shown here
from left are Paul Russell,
Alex Finigan, Jerry Seinfeld,
and Sam Cabiglio.

and throttle cables were bent and twisted during the

conversion to the point where the cables were getting
snagged by crimps in the tubes. This accounted for the
extraordinarily stiff and sticky clutch action. Much of
Adrians work centered on correcting the damage done
during the successive drive-position conversions.
Throughout the work done at Edelweiss Porschaus,
changes were only made to components that had already been altered from the original. In some cases the
change restored parts to a condition more akin to work
that was originally done at Gmnd. Seinfeld authorized
some modernizing and improvements to the pedal
clusters position and the cable tubing for the sake of
safe driving. He did request, however, that the mystery
pedal cluster be retained since it probably originated
with Math.

Jerry Seinfeld tolerated some discomfort behind

the wheel of 356/2-040 for the sake of keeping the
cars original components intact. However, after the
work done by Adrian Gang he reports that the Gmnd
is great fun to drive. He could even keep pace with
a Porsche Speedster through the twists and turns of
Topanga Canyon!
After months of preservation work and mechanical
and electrical systems tweaking, Porsche Gmnd coupe
356/2-040 fulfilled Jerry Seinfelds goals as its current
caretaker. Not only is it the cornerstone of his Porsche
collectionrepresenting the foundation upon which all
other Porsche cars were builtbut also it is the oldest
original-condition Porsche that is routinely performing
its essential function: joining its lucky owner in driving
in its purest form.

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adrian gang

The Otto Math Story

Appreciating the
Missing Link

232

CHAPTER 8

Ive been in the Porsche repair business more than 40

years At Edelweiss Porschaus and Ive worked on many
Porsches, including a lot of 356s. But 356/2-040 is the
earliest Porsche Ive ever worked on. It was like being
an archaeologist and discovering the earliest homo
sapiens specimen. This model was the progenitor of all
the Porsche 356sand 911s for that matter.
For me working on 040 and seeing such an early
Porsche up close inspired a lot of wonderment. You can
see how much Volkswagen is in this car. Its the missing
link in the evolutionary timeline between Volkswagen
and Porsche. I had worked on a couple of 1952 356s,
the last year they used a throttle cable. But the 356/2
is what they started withvery Volkswagen-ish. Its not
the very first Gmnd car off the line but it is still not very
far from being a prototype.
Take the unfinished bodywork, for exampleall the
hammer marks and the total lack of showroom finish.
One of the Porsche dealers down the road brought
a couple of his youngest technicians to see 040. He
wanted them to see where it all started. Right away they
started criticizing the roughness, saying, Who would
let a car out of the factory like that? Theyve probably
never even seen a Porsche earlier than 1995. They didnt
get it. But the older guys, the people whove owned
356s or early 911s, just love the raw quality of 040.
Theyre drawn to this car. My friend Joe Cavaglieri, who
restores Spyders, loves this car because its so unrefined.
For a lot of guys who have been around Porsches a
long time like me, this car is the source; the beginning
of it all. It fills in a lot of missing information about how
it all started. You can seeparticularly on 040 since it
was used for testingthe types of decisions they were
making, stuff they were trying out while they figured out
whether they could make the 356 as a production car.
When you look at the end of the 356 linethe 1965
C model seriesand compare it to 040 its just amazing.
In certain senses the car is so different, but it is still the
same 356 after almost 20 years. Then when you work
on early 911s you can see how they transitioned from
the 356 to the 911the same concept with a little more
modern thinkingwhich continued that whole lineage
until the end of the air-cooled line in 1998.

Although born in Zillertal, Austria, in 1907, Otto Math

grew up in Innsbruck. At the age of 16 he graduated
from cycle racing to the motorcycle competitions that
were popular in Austria and at 19 was hill-climb champion of the Tyrol. Becoming a dirt-track racing specialist, he designed and built his own machines.
An able mechanic, Math was a trained machinist who also enjoyed success as an entrepreneur. He
invented and patented a ski binding, began selling

branded oils and additives and after the war opened

the Tyrol regions first workshop for cylinder and crankshaft grinding.
When he was 27 Math suffered a racing crash in
Graz that cost him the use of his right arm. Neither his
handicap nor his multiple business interests kept Otto
Math from enjoying racing. On July 11, 1948, Math
drove his 1934 Fiat Balilla 508S in the Innsbruck race
meeting during which the Porsche 356 roadster was
Otto Math and his wife
posed for the camera at Zell
am See during one of the
ice-racing weekends there.
He was an authentic luminary of these events.

Youd see some of the new bells and whistles

being added to the 911 from the mechanical standpoint, which just made the cars more difficult to work
with. Maybe more comfortable for the driver or more
competitive with the BMWs and Mercedes, but much
less pure. So for me to go back to this 1949 356 is to
go back to the pure Porsche. Its the great-grandfather
of them all.

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Adrian Gang began working on Porsches as a

hobby back in 1967 with the purchase of a 67
911S. In the course of modifying this car he got to
know one of the mechanics at a local dealership so
well that they later opened their own Porsche repair
shop together.
Shortly after Adrian opened Edelweiss
Porschaus for business in 1968 he entered the
world of Porsche racing. From 19701988 he not
only fixed Porsches, but raced them in both the
SCCA and IMSA.
Today, after 43 years of working on Porsche
cars, Adrian still truly enjoys what he does. His primary focus is on engine rebuilding and mechanical
restoration work, with a specialization in 356s, early
911s and 4 Cam Spyders and Carreras. Fixing these
older Porsches requires a great deal of patience and
perseverance, but it is very rewarding work. Gang
finds his greatest satisfaction in successfully troubleshooting each cars mechanical problems and then
sending the owner away with a fun and responsive
Porsche that drives to its full potential again.

233

SAGA OF A Gmnd

P orsche

60K10 can be seen at various classic gatherings around

the world.
Clearly pleased with the performance of his BerlinRome coupe, Math was an early customer for the new
Porsche-badged sports cars being built in Austria. On
February 9, 1951, Math purchased aluminum Coupe
356/2-052, whose final assembly was completed at
Porsche Salzburg. Originally equipped with a 1.1-liter
engine of the latest type, the Porsche was intended by
Math to be primarily used for racing.
Though the track records of 356/2-052 have not
been completely reconstructed, one result is that of
September 1953 at the Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore in Merano, in which Math placed second in class.

Celebrating after the Zell am

See races were Otto Math,
right, Louise Pich and, just
visible, Ferry Porsche. In the
foreground was Louises
eldest son Ernst.

Other records show that during 1953 the coupe was

used in as many as 19 races in both 1.1- and 1.5-liter
classes. Many of these and later races were on street
courses, dirt tracks and frozen lakes. Porsche 356/2-052
continued to be raced by Math throughout Austria,
Switzerland and Italy until 1956. His many campaigns in
coupe 52 made Math the first serious racer of Porsche
sports cars and forged for him a friendship with the
Porsche and Pich families. Maths number 52 coupe
still exists, appearing at various Porsche-related functions, displaying Maths good-luck horseshoe across
its nose.
Otto Math first crossed paths with 356/2-040
late in 1952. He was a frequent customer at Porsche

An enthusiastic and talented

competitor in spite of his
handicap, Math fielded
his Type 60K10 Volkswagen
in several events, winning
his class in 1950s Austrian
Alpine Trial.

234

CHAPTER 8

demonstrated. Also shown off during the demonstration was the surviving 60K10 Berlin-Rome KdF-Wagen.
Almost exactly one year later on July 8, 1949, Franz
Binderan Englishman who was an employee of
Porsche Salzburgoffered the Berlin-Rome coupe to
Math. For the keen driver this was a great opportunity
which he seized, acquiring the by-now-unique racing
Volkswagen.
Math initially received a provisional registration
for the car. To suit his driving style, which saw him
bracing the steering wheel with his chest while
he shifted with his left hand, the 60K10 had to be
converted from left-hand to right-hand drive, work
that was apparently completed by August 10, 1950.

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According to VW Beetle expert Chris Barber, Otto

Math ran his Berlin-Rome coupe in some ten events
with decent results. Most notable of his successes was
an Alpine Cup and victory in the 1,100 cc class in the
1950 Austrian International Alpine Trial. The win fell
to Math after his great rival Wolfgang Denzel retired
with engine trouble. The achievement merited a special
telegram from Ferry Porsche congratulating Math and
wishing him many more successes.
The car was taken off the road in 1958 and given
a full restoration in 1980. In 1982 Math brought
the unique Volkswagen survivor to California for the
Porsche Club of America Parade and turned demonstration laps at Riverside. Still in private hands, the

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235

SAGA OF A Gmnd

P orsche

Bearing number 5, which

manifested his primacy
among Austrian competitors, Otto Maths racing
license showed his birthday
of July 31, 1907, and his
residence in Innsbruck.

Porsches people at Gmnd

were pleased to welcome
Math and a colleague during their visit to the Austrian
works with one of the three
VW 60K10s that they had
built in 1939.

Salzburg where they carried out regular maintenance

on his cars as well as modifications such as the conversion to right-hand drive. Since 040 had been used as a
test mule by Porsches Austrian engineers, we can only
speculate that Math may have seen it tucked away in
the Salzburg shop or one of the Salzburg employees
may have told him about a neglected aluminum 356 sitting in storage. Having developed some brand loyalty
by this point, Math was happy for an opportunity to
add another Porsche 356 to his fleet.
Math agreed to purchase the car, but only after
it had been restored. Restoration meant making the
car roadworthy and reliable, converting it to right-hand
drive, installing upholstery, fabricating a special roof
rack and probably installing a trailer hitch. It was around
mid-summer before Math took delivery of 040, which
he soon started using to carry parts, tires and later skis.
The main assignment of 356/2-040 was to tow Maths
single-seat Fetzenflieger ice racer to various events up
to 1960.
Its name loosely meaning plum crazy, the Fetzenflieger was an open-wheel racer fabricated by Math
from his personal stock of Volkswagen and Porsche
parts, including pieces from the wrecked Berlin-Rome
coupe he had also acquired. From these he built the
remarkable single-seater that he completed in 1952 and
first exploited in Austrian racing in 1953.

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Issued on July 13, 1949,

this registration document
identifies the Porsche simply
by its plate number T2222
and specifies its displacement as 1,085 cc. Math is
described as a salesman.

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CHAPTER 8

The Fetzenflieger consisted of the bare essentials:

a simple ladder frame connected to the familiar VW
front torsion-bar tubes. Math sat right in the nose,
close to a big steering wheel and ahead of a central fuel
tank. Behind that, just ahead of the rear wheels, was its
1-liter Porsche engine.
Although Math reversed the engine/transmission
system in his racer he did not swing the whole rearsuspension assembly aroundas Glckler had done
in his cars and as the Porsche people did in the 356
roadster and in their first 550s of early 1953. Instead he
kept the rear torsion-bar housing forward of the engine
and lengthened the trailing arms at each side. Everything was rigidly bolted in place so that the engine and
transmission added strength to the frame.
A specialist in sideways motoring, Math went to
a dirt-track race at Krieau, near Vienna, on October 18,
1953. To the credit of his new car he came away with
first place in the racing-car class. Running with spiked
tires, the Math special became the terror of the winter
races held on Austrias many frozen lakes. It could also
be equipped with fenders and lamps to compete where
these were required by the rules.
To stave off the competition Math later took out
his Super engine and installed a four-cam Carrera four
under a more sophisticated-looking rear deck. He also
updated his Fetzenflieger with later Porsche wheels

SAGA OF A Gmnd

237

P orsche

Math cannibalized
components from a
wrecked VW 60K10 to
build his Fetzenflieger,
seen here after his October
1953 victory in a dirt-track
event at Krieau, Austria.

Making a virtue of simplicity,

Otto Maths single-seater
was excellent advertising for
his special lubricants. Spiked
tires were the key to success
in ice racing.

Among Otto Maths many

outings with his Gmndbuilt Porsche coupes was this
hill climb on a loose surface.
This is likely to have been
356/2-052.

238

CHAPTER 8

and brakes. Even with the heavier four-cam engine its

weight was a scant 870 pounds.
One of the best-known winter competitions was
held on the lake at Zell am See, known as the Professor Ferdinand Porsche Memorial Races. Math and
his tough little Porsche hybrid gained a hammerlock on
these events in the late 1950s against competition that
was anything but token. Early in 1959, for example, he
had to beat Spyders driven by Richard von Frankenberg
and Huschke von Hanstein to hang on to his unofficial
Ice King title.

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No evidence suggests that Math ever raced

356/2-040. He said he raced two Type 356 Porsches
but this is open to several interpretations. In addition to
356/2-052 Math may have been referring to his BerlinRome coupe or his Fetzenflieger because both were
powered at one time or another by engines from the
Type 356. Or he could have been referring to 356/2022 which he briefly owned in the mid-1950s.
Ultimately Otto Math was credited with some
100 national class victories. He was often Austrian
national champion. After his death in 1997, his Porsche

PR

356/2-040 was sold to Franz Rathkolb of Vienna in that

year and resold to Jerry Seinfeld in 2003. Ottos surname lives on in the brand name of his additives, which
had the reputation of extending oil-change intervals for
thrifty Austrians.
In 1959 a ten-year-old Viennese lad was just old
enough to be inspired by the exploits of Otto Math,

who became a hero to the youngster. Here was a

man who achieved much with little. In his schooldays
the boys first wheels were a 1949 Beetle cabriolet,
setting him back $180, in which he could emulate
Maths exploits. He continued to take an interest in
cars, growing up to become triple Formula One world
champion Niki Lauda.

SAGA OF A Gmnd

239

P orsche

established 1950
Automotive Reference

BentleyPublishers
.com

Porsche
Origin of the Species
by Karl Ludvigsen

Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld

Price: $119.95
Bentley Stock No: GPGC
Publication Date: 2012.09-01
ISBN: 978-0-8376-1331-4
Hardcover
Case quantity: 5
356 pages
436 photos and illustrations

Bentley Publishers is proud to announce the latest Porsche

heritage book by renowned automotive historian Karl
Ludvigsen.
Within Jerry Seinfelds renowned Porsche collection resides
an unassuming yet extraordinary piece of Porsche history:
Porsche Gmnd coupe 356/2-040. Captured exclusively for this
book in a series of evocative portraits by acclaimed automotive
photographer Michael Furman, 040s unsullied originality
conveys with startling immediacy the combination of artistry,
innovation and determination that went into its improbable
creation. This cornerstone of the Seinfeld collection serves
as the inspiration for PorscheOrigin of the Species, an
in-depth exploration by the eminent automotive historian Karl
Ludvigsen into the specific influences and circumstances that
brought forth the first Porsche-badged sports cars.
How and when did the people of the Porsche firm find
themselves in a sawmill in Gmnd? What was the influence
on the 356 of the cars and engines built by Porsche before and
during the war? How and why was the first 356 shaped as it
was? What was the real relationship between the tube-framed
Type 356 roadster and the first 356/2 coupes? Questions
like these deserve answers because the resulting DNA is so
powerful, so robust, that it still influences the shape and style of
Porsches well into the twenty-first century.
Karl Ludvigsen, author of the award-winning Porsche:
Excellence Was Expected and Ferdinand Porsche Genesis
of Genius, tackles these questions and more in Porsche
Origin of the Species. The saga that emerges encompasses
mechanical revelations, human drama and the turmoil of world
war. PorscheOrigin of the Species will appeal to all car
enthusiasts who are eager to know what events really ignited
the spark from which all other Porsches evolved.

Otto Math in front of Zell

am Sees Grand Hotel
with Porsche 356/2-040.

After its careful preservation, Porsche 356/2/040

is back on the road and
providing its lucky owner
with the joy of driving in
its purest form.

Table of Contents
Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld
1 The Species Porsche
2 Automaking Ambitions
3 Turbulent War Years
4 Sawmill Survival
5 Italy to the Rescue
6 A Volkswagen Sports Car
7 Miracle of Production
8 Saga of a Gmnd Porsche
9 Why Porsche?
10 Origin of the Species
Appendix 1: Factory Documentation for Porsche 356/2-040
Appendix 2: 1949 Porsche 356 Owners Manual (40 pages plus cover)

Bentley Publishers, 1734 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1804 USA

Tel: 617-547-4170 Toll Free: 800-423-4595 Fax: 617-876-9235
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/contact-us
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