Lot 1106

California 2015

1961 Porsche 356B 'Sunroof'

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$110,000 - $125,000 USD | Not Sold

United States | Santa Monica, California

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Identification No.
117172

As the brainchild of Ferry Porsche, the 356 made Porsche successful worldwide and paved the way for the 911. Automobile enthusiasts adored the little sports cars from Germany that had a lively four-cylinder engine and fantastic handling. Many owners used their 356s as their primary transportation during the week and then raced them on the weekends without issue, giving Porsche a reputation for excellent build quality and reliability that remains to this day.

Introduced in 1959, the 356B proved to be the most popular of all 356 variants, with about 30,000 total units produced. The 356B featured a new front end, with slightly raised headlights, finned brake drums, and new transmission mounts, amongst other minor changes to further refine the driving experience that made the 356 famous. Karosseriewerk Reutter & Co built most bodies, including this T5 'Sunroof' Coupe.

Of the total 30,000 356Bs produced, only about 3,000 of them were 1961 Reutter Coupes and this example is particularly attractive with Ivory paint over red leatherette interior. It has been the subject of a recent and extensive restoration, which has brought the car to its current condition. Importantly, its Porsche Certificate of Authenticity has confirmed that the 1,600-cc four-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission are the same units that the car was delivered with when new. Rust can be a major problem with 356s, but this example was restored using its original pan and battery box, proving it is a solid example. This 356 was completed on August 3rd, 1961 with Aetna Blue paint and red leatherette interior, and was optioned with a ‘Golde’ sunroof, two armrests, coco floormats and Fulda Diadem tires.