Evaluation: Matching numbers, given period correct 1500 Super tune. US market car, originally painted Pascha Red over tan leatherette with corduroy trim. Original body. Gorgeous paint, brightwork, and interior. Clearly tons of money spent ($275,000, according to the listing) on a show-quality restoration fairly recently. The rubber on the front bumper, however, is hanging loose and that really sticks out (literally and figuratively) on such a beautiful car. Fix that and it’s pretty much perfect.
Bottom Line: Pre-A (1948-55) 356s are hard enough to find, built when Porsche was still a small-scale manufacturer, growing an improving incrementally as the postwar years wore on. But a Pre-A with its original drivetrain and body intact is even rarer, as these weren’t always the coveted collector pieces among Porschephiles that they are today. The bidders recognized this car as a standout even among the eight other 356s on offer at Bonhams Scottsdale this year.
