In automotive history, there are projects that never went into production, but continue to attract the attention of enthusiasts and historians. One of them is the Porsche 645, a racing prototype of the mid-1950s, which was created as an experimental replacement for the famous Porsche 550 Spyder and was later completely destroyed in an accident, reports Motorious.

Almost seventy years later, Hardt Classics, an Australian Porsche specialist, has rebuilt this unique car, giving it a new life. The original Porsche 645, which the team called “Mickey Mouse” for its small size and “lively” behavior, was an attempt to make the 550th model lighter and more aerodynamic.

It was built using a space frame and a magnesium alloy body, which made the car to weigh only 550 kg. Despite innovative ideas in aerodynamics and design, the 645 was difficult to control. In several races in 1956—for example, in the Solitude race, where it took fourth place, the car developed high speeds, but its behavior on the track was far from perfect.

The prototype's main driver, Richard von Frankenberg, described the car as difficult to control, which was due to its high sensitivity to the steering wheel at high speeds. The car's fate was decided by an accident on the famous AVUS racetrack in Berlin in 1956. On one of the fast straights, von Frankenberg lost control of the car, after which it flew off the track and completely burned out.

The driver, fortunately, survived, but the only copy of the prototype was destroyed. Hardt Classics’ modern reconstruction has been as faithful as possible: it was built to the original blueprints, using a space frame, aluminum bodywork, Porsche 356 Carrera GT brakes, and other components typical of the period. The original Type 547 engine is currently missing from the design due to its rarity and high value, but overall the car conveys the spirit and engineering approach of the Porsche racing team of the 1950s. The car is being sold in the Australian state of Victoria and is seen as a tribute to a lost chapter in Porsche’s history.