Sometimes, you’re buying the car’s history as much as you’re buying the car. This 1963 Porsche 356 seems like it has the sort of backstory that could make any vintage automobile a compelling purchase, and it certainly adds to the allure in the case of an air-cooled sports car like this. The seller reports he purchased the 356 from long-time family ownership and has listed it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $59,500 and the option to submit a best offer.

The backstory really does seem too good to be true, but among the highlights is the anecdote that the previous owner and his son made multiple coast-to-coast trips with the 356 on separate occasions. The 356 remained in the family’s ownership until 2021 when presumably the son or the father passed away. The decorated engine lid is the sort of thing truly passionate owners do; it’s like a scrapbook for the car that the rest of the world can see.

The colors aren’t completely accurate but they’re close to the factory specs. The seller reports that it left the factory wearing Slate Gray and was later repainted in its current shade of silver. The engine was also swapped out at some point, with a replacement 1.6L mill paired to the factory four-speed manual transmission. To me, these are not dings on the car; conversely, it reflects an owner that was doing their damndest to keep this air-cooled family sports car on the road for the long-term.

The 356 now resides in Connecticut but previously lived in New Hampshire. The seller will include a Kardex report along with a NH state registration. The engine bay is like the rest of the car, very clean and presentable but certainly not perfect. While the air-cooled fanatics watching the listing may be thinking about all the ways to return it to 100 percent factory specs, I personally wouldn’t change a thing on a car like this that wears its history proudly.