A legendary figure within the history of Porsche, Ernst Fuhrmann's engineering contributions helped to establish the brand’s motorsport pedigree and would eventually lead the technician to become Chairman of the Board.

His masterpiece—an alloy-cased, DOHC engine with its roller-bearing crankshaft—was designed as a full-on racing powerplant, with its valve train operating through a system of multiple shafts and bevel gears driven off the crankshaft.

It utilised dry-sump lubrication and dual ignition, with a pair of distributors being driven off the intake cams and a pair of switches on the dashboard allowing for individual testing of the twin coils.

Porsche’s “Four-Cam” engine, as it is popularly referred to today, first appeared in the company’s mid-engined 550 Spyders of the early-1950s.

Developing around 110 horsepower at 6,200 rpm in racing tune—roughly twice the output of the company’s similarly sized pushrod engines—this intriguing 1.5-litre powerplant would take on the punish...