Porsche
356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet

Why it matters

The Carrera 2 Cabriolet paired the open 356 B body with the Fuhrmann vertical-shaft four-cam engine, the most powerful engine of the 356 range. Porsche itself calls it one of the ultra-rare 356 variants; only 34 were built.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Porsche fitted its four-cam Carrera engine, designed by Ernst Fuhrmann with vertical shafts driving the camshafts, to the 356 B as the 2000 GS Carrera 2. A small number were built as cabriolets; the factory's own heritage reporting puts the total at 34. A 1962 example was driven by Porsche alongside the No. 1 Roadster in Switzerland in 2018 for the brand's 70th anniversary.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

A genuine 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet is built by Reutter and carries the Type 587/1 two-litre four-cam engine, full-synchromesh four-speed gearbox and disc brakes at all four wheels. RM Sotheby's notes that the exterior differs only slightly from the ordinary 356 B, apart from optional gold-plated badges, so engine and chassis numbers need checking against the factory Kardex. The catalogued example offered here is a German-market car delivered in June 1963 that no longer carries a Carrera engine, which shows that engine matching has to be verified car by car.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The “Number 1” lives on – Porsche Newsroom Level A

   • 34 Carrera 2 Cabriolets built

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   70 years of Porsche sports cars: 356 No. 1 Roadster, Super Coupé, Speedster and Carrera Cabriolet in Switzerland Level A Porsche Newsroom

   • Fuhrmann vertical shaft engine from 1962

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   1963 Porsche 356 B Carrera 2 2000 GS Cabriolet by Reutter (lot r0243) Level C RM Sotheby's

   • Porsche's engineers stuffed the Type 587/1
   • the 2.0-liter 587/1
   • full-synchromesh four-speed gearbox
   • rear transverse leaf spring suspension
   • annular disc brakes at four corners
   • maximum speed just shy of 125 mph
   • around 60 mph in only 9.2 seconds

   Accessed 2026-11-12