1959 Porsche 356A Sunroof Coupe

1959 Porsche 356A Sunroof Coupe

Presenting the nicest driving 356A Coupe we have ever had in our inventory!  This 1959 Porsche 356A is a Reutter-built coupe spent 1959 through the early 1960’s with it’s first owner, a San Francisco realtor.  The second owner, a local San Francisco fireman and pilot, owned it from the early 1960’s through 2005, when he gave the car to his son in who sold it to us in 2013. The second owner documented the services that was done to the car during most of his ownership in a detailed service logbook that still remains with the car.  During his ownership, one repaint in the original Ivory was completed.  Power is provided by it’s numbers matching 1.6-liter flat-four paired with the original and numbers matching four-speed manual transaxle, and additional equipment includes 1959 date coded 15″ ventilated steel wheels, body-color bumpers, and the original chrome bumper overrider uprights and bars. Work in preparation for the sale included servicing the brake and suspension systems and performing an engine tune-up.  This 356A is now offered with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, original owner’s manual, service logbook, and a clean California title.

Paint and Body

The car is finished in it’s original color of Ivory and was repainted just once in 1992. Paint meter readings are shown in the photo gallery and the readings indicate no areas of significant filler on the body.  Rare to see, the undercarriage shows the original floors and longitudinals.  Currently not installed, but included, are the body-color bumpers, front and rear bumper guards and original overrider bars. An original Aero style driver-side mirror is also installed.  Note that there are no reproduction trim parts on the body, instead the original trim parts are installed with excellent patina. Last, but definitely not least, this 356A is optioned with a sunroof.  Only an estimated 5% of the total production of the 356A’s left the Porsche factory with a sunroof.  

Interior

The cabin features fixed-back bucket seats that were reupholstered in 1992 in their original red leatherette. Matching upholstery trims the door panels, rear cushion, and dashboard, while tan square-weave carpets are installed over the sills, seatbacks, and the original floors, which are protected by black rubber mats.  The original ivory-colored steering wheel sits ahead of a body-colored dashboard housing a green-letter VDO 6k-rpm tachometer, a 120-mph speedometer, and an oil temperature gauge. The two-spoke steering wheel frames VDO instrumentation consisting of a central 6k-rpm tachometer, a 120-mph speedometer, and a combination gauge for oil temperature and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 77k miles.  All of the instruments are fully functional.  

Wheels and Brakes

The chrome 15″ x 4.5″ ventilated steel wheels include correct chrome baby moon hubcaps.  Tires are 165SR15 Michelin XZX radials. New front and rear shocks and rear axle boots were installed in June 2013 at 74,819 miles. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel drum brakes with a new brake master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, front brake hard lines, hoses and new outer tie rod ends were installed in December 2023 at 76,480 miles.  

Mechanicals

The numbers matching 1.6-liter Normal flat-four features two Zenith NDIX carburetors and was factory rated at 70 horsepower and 81 lb-ft of torque.  The service logbook records an engine rebuild at 56,815 miles by Engine Masters in Sonoma, CA. The original engine case displays stamping P*75516*, which matches the number on the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. All three case pieces are numbers matching.  A service completed in December of 2023 included oil service, valve adjustment, spark plugs, and engine tune.  A newly rebuilt Bosch BR18 was also installed.  A vintage Bursch sport muffler is installed and sounds great.  

Power is sent to the rear wheels through it’s original smooth shifting four-speed type 716 transaxle.  The gearbox case displays stamping 29490, which matches the number on the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity.  Gearbox oil was changed in December 2023.

Documentation

The original owner’s manual, factory literature, detailed service logbook and service records are included in the sale.  The Certificate of Authenticity lists the factory color of Ivory and shows a production completion date of September 1957.  

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