Porsche Ghia Saloon

The 1961 Porsche Ghia four-door saloon was a design study developed at a moment when Porsche enjoyed exceptional financial stability and strategic freedom. By the early 1960s, sales of the Porsche 356 were particularly strong in the United States, while Porsche also benefited from long-standing contractual arrangements with Volkswagen, including royalty income linked to Beetle production and extensive engineering consultancy work. In parallel, Porsche KG in Austria, controlled by the Piëch family, acted as Volkswagen’s national importer, further reinforcing the group’s financial position. Within this context, Porsche initiated internal studies to broaden its model range beyond two-door sports cars. In 1961, alongside the still-developing 901 program, a large four-door saloon with a rear-engine layout was explored. Styling and model development were entrusted to Carrozzeria Ghia, which at the time maintained close relationships with both Porsche and Volkswagen. The project was overseen by Sergio Sartorelli, who proposed two distinct body variants: a fastback saloon and a more conventional notchback configuration. The proportions and layout anticipated later Porsche four-door concepts by several decades, combining a long wheelbase with a rear-mounted powertrain. Full-scale models were constructed and photographed, including running examples tested on Volkswagen facilities. Period imagery shows the cars on the Wolfsburg test track, a detail that raises questions regarding the project’s intended brand destination. Although frequently described as a future Porsche, evidence suggests the study may have been conceived within a broader Volkswagen development framework. In April 1966, Volkswagen publicly showcased dozens of experimental vehicles developed since the late 1940s as part of a strategy to demonstrate diversification beyond the Beetle. Among the vehicles displayed at Wolfsburg were two large four-door saloons corresponding to the Ghia-bodied designs.