Chassis No. 60077 The classification system for early “Pre-A” Porsche 356s can seem bewildering at first, yet it is simply explained. The earliest production Porsche 356 models, built of aluminum in Gmünd, Austria, are known as Gmünd coupes. After production returned to Germany in 1950, the earliest of these now steel-bodied 356s continued to be built retaining the original-style two-piece windshield and are commonly known as “split window” 356s. Towards the start of the 1952 model year, Porsche updated the two-piece affair with a Knickscheibe or “bent window” windshield for both the Coupe and Cabriolet models, which remained until the emergence of 356 A production in late 1955. According to a digital copy of its Porsche-issued Kardex warranty card, this 1953 356 Pre-A Knickscheibe Cabriolet was completed in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on 4 April 1953. Finished in R 504 Elfenbein (Ivory) with a Red leather interior, it was destined for the Hahn Porsche dealership located in Fellbach, Germany. In addition to key codes and an initial service recorded with Hahn, its Kardex lists a Blaupunkt Telefunken radio, Hirschmann antenna, and Bosch-Aggregate Heater as additional cost options. Furthermore, it records an engine serial number that shows it was ordered with the largest capacity pushrod engine available at the time, the 1,500-cc Type 546 in “Normal” 55 PS specification. An inspection of the Cabriolet and Kardex reveals that after 72 years, this rare and desirable Cabriolet remains largely original with recent restoration work. This rare Pre-A Cabriolet is said to have been part of a prominent U.S. collection before returning to Germany. Most recently, it was imported to the United Kingdom in 2015, where it was first stored and later registered in January 2024. Today it shows 80 kilometers since restorative work, during which it was resprayed in a creamy hue evocative of its original Ivory, fitted with a new black soft-top, and retrimmed with a black leatherette interior and charcoal-colored square-weave carpeting. It rides on correct diameter grey-painted 16-inch steel wheels with chrome hubcaps and whitewall tires and is offered with a digital copy of its factory Kardex warranty card, restoration invoices, and records of servicing by The Light Car Company in November 2023. As a rare bent-window Cabriolet equipped with Porsche’s desirable 1500 engine, it is among the most sought-after specifications built during the early Pre-A era. Elegant in its restored presentation yet retaining authentic period character, it stands as a highly collectible example of Porsche’s formative styling and engineering.
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- Exterior Colour
- Number of doors
- Interior Colour
- VIN Code60077
