1960 Porsche 356B – Auction Car of the Week
October 29, 2023
We thought we’d continue the Porsche theme this week following our Classified of the Week on Tuesday and while this 356B is a much earlier entry in the Porsche canon (its first production car, in fact) than the Boxster, similarities abound and a direct lineage between the two cars can certainly be appreciated. For starters, both cars are two-seater sportsters. Both have a rear engine, rear-wheel drive setup and although the Boxster has two additional cylinders over the 356’s four-pot, the same agile, poised driving characteristics are in abundance whatever the engine.
It’s not just the driving experience where parallels can be drawn either. Park them side by side and you’ll immediately notice a correlation, with a lot of the same design principles retained from the 356 carried over to the Boxster. You can read all about the genesis of the 356 in our Famous Firsts feature but suffice to say it’s a car that most definitely endures. Porsche really did hit the nail on the head from the get go with this one.
The 356 went through a number of updates over its 17 year tenure, not to mention collecting a whole bunch of motorsport silverware along the way, but the car in question today is a 356B. Arriving in 1960, a whole 12 years after the first 356s rolled out of the factory in Gmünd, Austria, the 356B featured numerous design tweaks and improvements over those original models.
Known as the T5 body type, these incarnations of Porsche’s now iconic coupé were bestowed with completely redesigned (believe it or not) front and rear ends, along with larger bumpers fitted higher up on the body. The headlights were also raised and a larger, chrome-plated bonnet handle was included. Coupés were fitted with front vent windows and all of the interiors across the range were updated. Under the bonnet the 356B benefited from new finned brake drums and an upgraded four-speed manual gearbox, further improving the car’s already excellent dynamics.
As mentioned then, our car is a 1960 Porsche 356B T5 with a 1.6-litre engine and 65K on the clock. Produced for the American market it presents as a left-hand drive model that has spent most of its life in warm, dry Texas. It wasn’t until 2006 that it was brought across to Italy where it currently resides.
Treated to a full, bare metal restoration in 2008 it has covered a mere 10,000 miles since. During that time the car has been fastidiously maintained and as such it still presents exceptionally well. The restorative work was carried out very much sympathetically so as to retain the Porsche’s character and simplistic charm and the original white over red colour scheme is simply stunning.
US history is a little lacking but the Italian registration document is present in the name of the owner, as is the original model tag with the the chassis and engine numbers clearly visible. Said engine number 605992 relates to an early 1961 1,600cc unit which has been upgraded to 12v electrics as part of the refresh.
A fantastic example of the marque this Porsche 356B stands as a paradigm of understated refurbishment but don’t think that this is a lock up and leave investment piece. Sure, you won’t lose money on it but it’s very much a usable classic that deserves to be driven and enjoyed. And boy will you enjoy it!
