Solved: Allemano's № 863 - Porsche 944 SaCa by Beutler

[Allemano]

I doubt if this was ever made..

However tell me what it was supposed to be.

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[Allemano]

Experts!

[gilescooperuk]

Well it looks like a Porsche 924 Saloon. Could have been planned as a VW though.

[sixtee5cuda]

Or an Audi.  The fender bulges indicate it may have been done around the time of the 944.

[Allemano]

Well it looks like a Porsche 924 Saloon. Could have been planned as a VW though.

Not quite...

Or an Audi.  The fender bulges indicate it may have been done around the time of the 944.

Not an Audi, but there's something right in this reply.

[nicanary]

A proposal to re-launch Wanderer?

[Allemano]

A proposal to re-launch Wanderer?

No, far from that.

[kwgibbs]

Was it called the Cheetah?

[Allemano]

No.

[sixtee5cuda]

Design proposal for a 944 coupe?  Leaving off the hatch to reduce costs and increase structural rigidity?

[Allemano]

Design proposal for a 944 coupe?  Leaving off the hatch to reduce costs and increase structural rigidity?

It was a 944, but I don't know what's the reason for this body shape. It wasn't an official Porsche project.

[4popoid]

This past weekend, while researching Beutler for the NEH 2406 puzzle, I ran across a blog (which I can no longer seem to locate), which indicated that Beutler had a program for producing custom cars, first on VW chassis, and later on Porsche chassis.  I seem to recall that a Porsche chassis mentioned was the 944, and the Beutler/Porsche product, called a 944SC (not sure about the trailing letters), was offered in the late 50's/or early 60's.  Apparently at least one, or two, cars were actually manufactured, as the blog conversation was centered around where any surviving Beutler cars were located.

Anyway, I'll propose that the car depicted in the drawing for this puzzle is a: 1958/1962 Porsche 944SC (sp?) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland. 

[Allemano]

This past weekend, while researching Beutler for the NEH 2406 puzzle, I ran across a blog (which I can no longer seem to locate), which indicated that Beutler had a program for producing custom cars, first on VW chassis, and later on Porsche chassis.  I seem to recall that a Porsche chassis mentioned was the 944, and the Beutler/Porsche product, called a 944SC (not sure about the trailing letters), was offered in the late 50's/or early 60's.  Apparently at least one, or two, cars were actually manufactured, as the blog conversation was centered around where any surviving Beutler cars were located.

Anyway, I'll propose that the car depicted in the drawing for this puzzle is a: 1958/1962 Porsche 944SC (sp?) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland. 

Do you know the year the Porsche 944 was introduced?
Locked for you!

[4popoid]

Hmmmm!  The Porsche 944 was produced 1982-1991, so either my memory on the bloggers dates is faulty (which is highly likely), or the whole theory goes out the window.  I'm guessing that my memory is faulty, and, since Beutler apparently folded in 1987, say that the puzzle car is a: 1982/1987 Porsche 944SC (sp?) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland. 

[Carnut]

Bump!

[Allemano]

Hmmmm!  The Porsche 944 was produced 1982-1991, so either my memory on the bloggers dates is faulty (which is highly likely), or the whole theory goes out the window.  I'm guessing that my memory is faulty, and, since Beutler apparently folded in 1987, say that the puzzle car is a: 1982/1987 Porsche 944SC (sp?) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland.  

Still not entirely correct.
SC is not the completely right designation I'm afraid.

[4popoid]

Yes, I left out a couple of letters.  I should have said SaCa.

[Allemano]

... I should have said SaCa.

that means....?

[4popoid]

1982/1987 Porsche 944 SaCa (Safety Cabriolet) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland.

[Allemano]

1982/1987 Porsche 944 SaCa (Safety Cabriolet) by Beutler of Thun, Switzerland.

I doubt that this Beutler car was ever built so, I can't believe the years 1982/1987, but any way...
You found the right car.

Does anyone know the true story of this car? As far as I read Beutler closed doors in 1987, so this must be one of their last projects.

[Carnut]

This is their press handout but I have no idea if it was ever built or not.
Neither does it look much like a cabriolet; I wonder if the plan was for a steel retractable roof?

[Wendax]

Neither does it look much like a cabriolet; I wonder if the plan was for a steel retractable roof?

No, a part of the roof and the rear window were removable.

[oko94]

The sketch was published in "L'Automobile Magazine - Toutes les Voitures du Monde 82/83", issued in 1982. So 1982 is the correct year.