Porsche 356 B 1600 S Cabriolet number 152629 was completed on October 16, 1959, finished in Light Ivory over a red leather interior and supplied for U.S. delivery with both a removable hardtop and a folding soft top, as well as the twin-carbureted 1600 “Super” engine. The formal order for this Porsche was placed on November 11, 1959, and it was sold on December 5, 1959, to Dr. Keith Neece. On January 5, just one month after taking delivery of his new 356 Cabriolet, he traded it in to the local Ford dealership, most likely for something a bit more practical for the Chicago winters!

Soon thereafter, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois found himself looking for just such a Porsche. It also just so happened that his father was the Ford dealership’s Sales Manager. James Richard Kerr, an aeronautical engineer, and his recent bride, Shirley Ann, purchased the car later that month. Jim and Shirley remained in Illinois with this Porsche until he accepted a position with Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego in the fall of 1963. They loaded up their possessions and drove the 356 across the country to their new home in California. In 1966, the car developed an engine problem at around 56,000 miles. As the Kerrs debated how to resolve the issue, the Porsche was placed in storage, where, as fate would have it, the car remained until 2011.

After that 45-year residence, the 356 was purchased from the Kerrs’ son by an enthusiast in San Diego, next passing to an avid Porsche collector in Florida. A two-year restoration by marque experts was begun in 2012, with the goal of preserving as much of the original components of the car as possible. Necessary repairs to the bodywork and fresh Light Ivory finish were applied by Alton Jones of Columbia, South Carolina. A new red leather interior with correct German square-weave carpeting and a new top and boot were installed by Jean-Noël Gieffeuille of Pittsboro, North Carolina, and a complete mechanical overhaul of the original engine, transaxle, and brakes was completed by Paul Willison Werkstadt in Lake Park, Florida. The instruments were properly restored, and the car was fitted with a new windshield and wiring. The brightwork was also re-plated or polished as necessary.

Following its restoration, this gorgeous cabriolet was shown at the 2013 Porsche Parade in Traverse City, Michigan, scoring 296 out of 300 points and earning a Zuffenhausen Award. It has been driven less than 50 miles total on sunny days only since the restoration was completed.

The award-winning cabriolet boasts extensive documentation, including original paperwork and receipts, as well as numerous factory and dealer-installed options, such as a correct luggage rack, a Blaupunkt radio, five correctly dated chromed steel wheels, and many other original components, including its original tool kit and one-year-only wiper arm. There is a set of fitted luggage along with seat belts, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, its fully-restored factory hardtop, California “black plates,” and a correct factory owner’s manual and shop manual.

The Porsche 356 enthusiast seeking arguably the finest T5 cabriolet in the country will find none better than this.