Porsche 911 chassis number 300718 was completed the same day as its sibling-The Quail Auction 2026 Lot 296-and was likewise delivered new via Porsche Car Northwest. It was sold to Pacific Northwest drag-racing champion John Schmauder and remained in the region for decades. It still retains its original, numbers-matching flat-six engine, as per a copy of its original Kardex warranty card. The engine is now fitted with twin Weber IDA46 carburetors, overhauled in 2019, and is paired with a replacement Type 902/1 transaxle. Presented in largely original condition, this coupe retains its Koni shocks and Blaupunkt push-button radio. Interestingly, Porsche's own production specifications sheet lists the car as a 1966 model, despite sharing its 9 April 1965 build date with 300717 and being clearly built before the factory summer break that delineated major model year changeovers. Chassis 300718 is offered with a copy of its Kardex warranty card and Porsche Production Specifications sheet.
Today, chassis 300718 presents as unrestored example, never having undergone a complete restoration. Its original interior survives largely intact, from the factory six-pleat front seat upholstery with perforated seat backs, to its "button" dash, handsome teak trim within the cabin, all hallmarks of these earliest of short wheelbase 911s. Paired with its numbers-matching engine, 300718 offers collectors a rare, unfiltered window into a first-year 911 that has remained unrestored across six decades on the road.
Presented as sequential lots, 1965 Porsche 911 chassis numbers 300717 and 300718 offer a rare opportunity to examine two cars that left Porsche's production line together yet followed entirely different paths thereafter. Both completed on 9 April 1965 and delivered new through Porsche Car Northwest, the two coupes have spent the past six decades evolving in remarkably different ways. While 300717 has received a comprehensive restoration, this particular 911-chassis number 300718-remained in active use while retaining its original engine, period details, and unrestored character. Offered individually, these two early 911s provide a fascinating look at how two nearly identical examples of Porsche's first-year 911 could develop such distinct histories over more than 60 years.