When it comes to open-top motoring, it can be very difficult to beat a vintage sports car. Driving any convertible already brings you closer to the pure feel of driving: the wind, the noise, the immediacy of everything around you. When a vintage car is your chosen vehicle for such an excursion then that sense of immediacy becomes all the more palpable. Porsche’s paradigmatic expression of such a car came in the guise of the 356 Speedster, which remains one of the most valuable and coveted of the marque’s many cars. Production of the Speedster ceased in 1958, to be replaced by the Convertible D model and eventually the 356 Roadster. While mechanically similar to the Speedster, the Roadster featured wind-up windows, a slightly taller windscreen, and cushier bucket seats. Basically, a more comfortable version of the Speedster. Still, the essence of the car was retained and these remain highly sought after versions of the 356. The example featured here is a Silver 1961 Porsche 356B Roadster with Red interior located in Texas.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1961 Porsche 356B Roadster on eBay
Year: 1961
Model: 356B Roadster
Engine: 1.6 liter flat-4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 88,000 mi
Price: Reserve auction
SOLD NEW TO A GENERAL IN EL PASO,TEXAS–BABIED BY HIM THEN SOLD TO THE SECOND OWNER THAT SOLD IT TO MY FRIEND—THIS IS AN ORIGINAL CAR THAT HAS HAD CARE ALL ITS LIFE—BOOKS,RECORDS,PAPERWORK FROM NEW ARE WITH THIS CAR. ONE REPAINT YEARS AGO—NEVER HAD A PANEL OR PIECE REPLACED—IT IS IN WONDERFUL RUST FREE ORIGINAL CONDITION. HAS A SUPER 90 ENGINE. DRIVES GREAT. HARD TO FIND ONE LIKE THIS—408 892 5959
As auctions go, this one is tough. The seller hasn’t provided a wealth of information, the pictures are small and the lighting does not really do the car justice, and the engine raises some questions. It is clearly a very valuable car, as evidenced by current bidding at $93,500, but it’s somewhat difficult to tell exactly where this should fall in the spectrum. To be clear, it looks fantastic: the profile is gorgeous and the contrast of the Silver paint with the Red looks just about perfect on a vintage car like this. It also comes with a bunch of paperwork and appears to have lead a pretty good life at the hands of only two owners. With that said, the statement about the Super 90 engine feels tacked on at the end, but it’s an important point for distinguishing the model and claimed originality, each of which will play into the overall value of the car. This seems potentially to be a great car, but any bidder will need to do a good bit of additional homework and that may hamper the success of this auction.
-Rob
