Description
PRICE £POA
YEAR 1960
ENGINE 1582cc/ 4-cyl/ OHV HO/ Twin Zenith 32 NDIX downdraught carburettors
POWER 60bhp@4500rpm
TORQUE 81lb ft@2800rpm
MAXIMUM SPEED 96mph
0-60MPH 16. 5sec
GEARBOX RWD, four-speed manual
MILEAGE 59, 814 miles
MOT 12 months from sale
CHASSIS NUMBER 109041
COLOUR Ruby Red
INTERIOR Black leather
WIDTH 1670mm
LENGTH 4010mmmm
HEIGHT 1330mm
Absolute Porsche purity; this 356B is in beautiful order cosmetically and mechanically, having been fully restored when imported into UK from the USA 10 years ago and very carefully looked after ever since.
When the 356 was created in 1948 by Ferdinand ‘Ferry’ Porsche (the son of Dr Ferdinand Porsche, the man who’d brought the Volkswagen Beetle into being) and Erwin Komenda, much of its mechanicals were derived from the Beetle. However, whatever its many other attributes, the VW Type 1 was never known for its speed, so the sporty 356 was constantly developed and refined away from its humble origins, and by the late-1950s, the two cars had little in common save for being rear-engined and air-cooled four-cylinder German machines.
The 356B variant (known internally as the ‘Technical Programme V’ or ‘T5’) was launched in autumn 1959 as a coupe, cabriolet, roadster and hardtop-coupe. Modifications from its predecessors included raised headlamps and front wings, a higher front bumper with larger overriders, more substantial indicators and oval barred inlets in the front valance to aid brake cooling. The rear bumper was also higher than before, with a reversing light underneath it, and there were twin exhaust pipes. Inside, there was a new deep-dish steering wheel, modified dashboard and reworked seats, with opening quarterlights now providing extra ventilation for occupants. Coupe versions, such as the one we have here, had their bodies constructed by Reutter in Stuttgart, just down the road from Porsche’s own HQ. A total of 31, 440 356Bs were manufactured before the C superseded the type in 1963, the same year that the 911 was unveiled.
This stunning left-hand-drive 1960 356B was initially sold in California to a lady customer. It passed to its second owner six years later and stayed with him over 40 years, albeit with 20 of those in storage. It then moved to Texas – so still in a warm, dry climate – and subsequently onto Florida. There it was used as a holiday car by its British owner who obviously liked it so much that he decided to bring it back with him to the UK. It arrived in 2014 and was promptly fully restored by marque specialist Export 56 in Newport Pagnell and XK Engineering in Coventry, with a full photographic record of the process made. The engine, brakes, suspension and other mechanics were replaced, repaired or restored as appropriate, while the bodyshell was taken back to bare metal and repainted to a very high standard. All the brightwork was replated where necessary and the interior retrimmed. When the rebuild – which was completed in 2015, it had circa 58, 000 miles on its odometer. Today, nine years on, that tally stands at just 59, 814 miles.
Such sparing use, while also being carefully looked after, has resulted in the Porsche remaining in superb order throughout. The Ruby Red paint is still vibrant, consistent in its shade throughout, and free from any significant marks. Panel gaps are tight and even across the body. All the chromework is sparkling and free from any corrosion or tarnishing, having been replated during the restoration; this includes the rear overriders which are prone to problems because the exhausts exit through them. The engine lid grille is fitted with a Porsche 356 Registry 1948-1965 badge which suits the car rather well, although it is easily unscrewed should any owner so wish.
The wheels, with their Super hubcaps adorned with the Porsche crest, are shod in Michelin XAS tyres all round. As they’ve only done a couple of thousand miles, they’re still in very good order with plenty of tread left and no sidewall damage or cracking. Underneath, the car has been comprehensively undersealed to protect it against a British climate that isn’t quite as hospitable as that of California, Texas or Florida.
While the inside of the 356B is more basic than owners became used to on later Porsches, it’s still a stylish place to be. Three large dials set into the red-painted padded dash are easily readable through the large steering wheel, with the rev counter occupying central pride of place, framed by the speedometer on the right and a clock for the oil temperature and fuel level on the left. There’s also, for those who prize originality, a period Blaupunkt push-button ‘Blue Spot’ radio, albeit one with a jack lead concealed in the glovebox for modern connectivity plus a pair of more up-to-date speakers unobtrusively lurking in the footwells.
Everything in the cabin is in excellent condition and largely true to original spec, although there are seatbelts for the occasional flip-up rear bucket seats plus a St Christopher medal attached to the fascia, which looks suitably old and was the type of feature often fitted by drivers during the 1960s. The black leather upholstery, carpeting and door cards give the impression of being virtually new, which they pretty much are, having only seen 2000 miles of use since the Porsche was retrimmed back in 2014/ 15. The windscreen features a gearbox gate pattern sticker and, overhead, the headlining is totally unmarked.
Up front, the boot area is clean and tidy, with the fuel tank – flatter than before, to increase luggage capacity – is finished in gloss black. There’s no dampness or smell of petrol, both issues that can affect cars with front trunks. At the rear, the engine bay looks stock, and is free from any grime – quite an achievement, given that the engine bay sides are clad in soft mid-grey protective material that would show up any fluid leaks very easily. However, here, the compact twin-Zenith carburettor 1. 6-litre engine looks absolutely oil-tight (something more crucial on air-cooled engines than on water-cooled ones), and the attention to original detail includes period information stickers still in place on the air and oil filters, Bosch coil and fan shroud.
The proof of any pudding is in the eating though, and this 356B drives just as sweetly as it looks. It starts easily from cold and settles into a smooth, steady idle as it warms up, with the distinctive fan noise that is a characteristic of these cars. While 60bhp may not be much by later Porsche standards, in this small, lightweight coupe weighing only around 900kg, it’s enough to make it feel frisky and enthusiastic, with eager acceleration, accurate steering and effective drum brakes.
Accompanying the Porsche is a large file of paperwork, with workshop manuals and brochures, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and the photographic record of the restoration. A nice extra is the leather key fob, with the Porsche crest embossed on one side and Karosserie Reutter branding on the other.
The 356 was the car that made all subsequent Porsches possible, and this is a very pure example where all the hard work has already been done to make it into a head-turning showstopper. The result is a lovely-looking German sports coupe just ripe to be driven, enjoyed and displayed, for others to be very envious of.
