Porsche Museum, Type 64 Body

One of the first things visitors see when they enter the Porsche museum is the aluminum body of a Type 64, known as the great-grandfather of all Porsche sports cars to follow. Built in 1939 for the long-distance race from Berlin to Rome—which it never made due to the outbreak of World War II—its lightweight construction and aerodynamic design anticipated the characteristics of modern Porsche models. Designer Ferdinand Porsche often drove the car himself.