Highlights

Three year restoration exceeding £150,000
Detailed restoration using high end model specialist
Very early 365B with matching numbers
Original colour scheme of Glacier white over dark green
Retains its factory-correct 356B features
A very good example of these sought-after cars
Very rare factory hard top in matching colour included

The Appeal

The 356B was the first major revision of Ferdinand’s compact, lightweight maesterwerk. The T5 shell introduced a raft of detail improvements and a hike in power to 75bhp from the air cooled flat four 1,600cc engine. For all those reasons, these are highly collectible cars.

This is a very early ‘B,’ a matching numbers cabriolet that has been subject to a three year restoration - completed four years ago - costing in excess of £150,000. The quality of the work is both obvious and impressive. It involved high end suppliers including Porsche, Stoddards and Karmann and a roof from the UK’s premier supplier. But it is perhaps the attention to detail that is the renovation’s stand-out feature. This car retains its factory 356B features to a level that will surely please model experts. There is even a factory hard top in matching colour - an exceptionally rare item. Glacier White and factory-correct dark green leather, it is a feast for the eyes. This is one of the best 356B convertibles we’ve seen recently and will grace any collection.

The History and Paperwork

Factory built in December 1959
First registered in 1960
Delivered new to Porsche dealer Hoffman in Massachusetts, USA
Imported to UK in September 2016
Acquired by the current keeper in April 2017
Part of a high end classic car collection
Restored between 2017 and 2020 at reported cost of £150,000
Suppliers included Karmann, Stoddard and Porsche
Roof supplied by the premier cabriolet supplier
Porsche Certificate of Authenticity to view in photographs
This document confirms the car is matching numbers
Finished in it's original Glacier White with green interior
Factory hard top in matching colour with stand

The Condition

Beautifully presented and retains its 356B detailing
Light green paintwork with black roof and dark green interior
Exterior presents to a high standard with good panelwork and fit
Chromework including pretty domed and chromed hub caps in very good order
Factory standard 356B with addition of rear indicators
High quality black soft-top roof in very good order with deep colour and clear screens
Underside reflects the high end restoration with only minor aging to note
Evocative interior with dark green seats and door cards showing little wear
Dark green dash roll is well kept
Clear dials with original, lightly tarnished chrome surrounds
Fitted with a Porsche-branded radio blanking plate
Grey carpets in good order appearing to be high quality finish

It is easy to see why the 356 is such a doyen of the classic car fraternity. This car is gorgeous, finished as it is in an unusual very light green that seems to play with the light. It is complemented by a dark green interior. It is close to the original factory specification.

The quality of that three year restoration shines out of the photographs. The panel fit is very good, the paint finish similarly impressive and the attention to detail evident to anyone who knows the details of a 356B. The eagled eyed will spot the rear plate lights incorporated into the bumpers, the ‘B’ specification vents above the front bumper and the revised front bonnet. Topping it off is a black fabric roof of very high quality and a matching factory hard top in body colour.

This car was completed four years ago, since when it has been part of the current keeper’s high end collection. Sparingly used but carefully stored, it gives the buyer a chance to acquire it in much the same condition it was on the day it was completed.

The Mechanics

Matching numbers 1,600cc 75bhp ‘B’ specification flat four engine
4spd manual gearbox
Mechanically rebuilt and overhauled during restoration
Quality of the running gear and engine area evident from photographs
No reported running or driving issues

Subsequent Porsches have got bigger and faster, but the 356B sticks true to the Eureka moment experienced by Ferdinand Porsche when he drove his supercharged Beetle around Germany. That showed him that a light, agile car with a small engine could be just as quick and entertaining - perhaps more so - than a big V8 GT. Anyone who has watched his curvy creation eviscerate motoring Goliaths around Goodwood would have to agree.

This 356B cabriolet delivers the same thrills, but is perhaps more about the style that comes with that carefully engineered drop top.

The key to valuing any 356 is originality. This car’s Porsche Certificate of Authenticity confirms it is a very early 356B that retains its matching numbers mechanicals. The photographs evidence the overhaul and restoration to the running gear undertaken over three years. Sparing use since means they remain much as they did when completed four years ago.

BEFORE YOU BUY

This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:

✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..

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✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind.

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