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It’s A Gläser, Not A Speedster!

Confused yet? Me too! Shown here is a 1952 Porsche 356 Cabriolet built by Gläser. While the majority of bodies for 356’s were built by either Karmann Karrosserie or Reutter Karrosserie (now Recaro), a small handful of early cars were built by smaller firms like Gläser. Located here on Hemmings, this bathtub ‘Porsh can be yours for an asking price of only $325,000. While that price may seem incredibly high given the lack of pictures, I know of a Karmann-bodied cabrio of the split-window vintage in similar condition with an asking price of around $300,000.

Sadly, only two pictures are provided. The seller does claim that there is some rust but nothing that affects the structural integrity of the body. Some additional parts are provided for the next owner, and for an additional cost, the original engine can be included. Is this rare convertible worth the sky-high asking price?

Comments

  1. Avatar PETER ZOBIAN

    I doubt the claim “no stuctural” problems. Note the cement block under the right side jack point. That is holding the car up, and keeping it from resting on the ground!

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  2. Avatar L.M.K.

    Only to the true Porsche collector….Not for me….Many other things I could do with that sum of money….

    Interesting though….

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  3. Avatar Bill

    Extra for the motor??? Who would market a car like that and try to sell the motor separately? More valuable together than apart…

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  4. Avatar Ikey Heyman Member

    The concrete block frame support doesn’t inspire confidence.

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  5. Avatar Dave Wright

    The first Porsche’s were built in Austria. The Dr had a long history of collaboration with other companies. He did design work ( as they still do) for some of the best car and equipment manufacturers in Europe. Speedsters were built later than this car as a response to a group of US military pilots that loved to race on the weekends………and as a response to the success of the little British roadsters on the market. This car is not even a roadster (it has a non removable windshield) and roll up windows that the speedster never had. So the comparison is pretty weak. A convertible D is more closely related to a speedster. It will bring major money in any event. I had a 52 continental coupe, you could still see the tool marks from when it was built.

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    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      How about: It’s A Glaser Not a Karmann?

      In any event if rarity is determined by numbers built and numbers remaining well this is rarer than some Speedsters…..not to split too many hairs.

      Its certainly earlier. We can agree on that I think.

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  6. Avatar Mike

    $325k and only two pictures? This is not a Craig’s List ad. Don’t be stingy on the photos! Geez..

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  7. Avatar P

    The day I pay 325k is the day you see Jeffrey Star Junior.

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  8. Avatar Adam Wright

    Couple of things here.
    1. Karmann didn’t start building bodies until 1960. Before that the majority were built by Reuter, and some done by Glaser, Heuer, Beutler, and Drauz.
    2. This car has been on the market for a couple of years now. The lack of original motor is going to keep it from the stratospheric price. The top tier of collectors won’t even look at a Porsche that isn’t matching numbers, which unless someone finds the original motor, this car will never be.
    At this point everyone has seen or heard of the car and no takers, not at this price. The car proves the point that you can overprice anything, no matter how rare.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alan Brase

      And Belgian D’Ieteren, in 1960-62 also a coachbuilder of the roadster. Someone mentioned a Roadster. Well a 1952 Roadster could only be one of 16 America Roadsters. Not all extant. When was one last sold publicly and how much? Or a Gmund coupe?
      Oh, you want a Spyder? Good luck on that. Should have been bidding when the Blue one was for sale. Don’t come up very often.

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      • Avatar Adam Wright

        We’ve only bought one Belgian, it was last winter. Found on a very scary mountaintop.
        Though I looked at another last week.

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  9. Avatar Bill Walters

    NO, Just NO.

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  10. Avatar Derek

    “nothing that affects the structural integrity of the body”

    So, why the breeze-block under the sill?

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  11. Avatar Clinton

    So for 325 large you don’t even get the original matching engine? Wtf? Like it would be more valuable to someone else. Gimme a break.

    Cool M5 in the background. Probably wants 50k for that though

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  12. Avatar Roger Owen

    Don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of these old Porsches. Personally, I consider them to be little more than a VW Beetle derivative. Why ‘basket cases’ are demanding such high prices is a little beyond my comprehension.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Adam Wright

      Anyone who compares a 356 to a beetle hasn’t driven both, guaranteed.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Adam Wright

        You can’t do this in a beetle.

        Like 1
      • Avatar King Al

        Can’t do this either in a beetle. Just ask James Dean.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Adam Wright

        If you’ve been there, it feels different, and that wasn’t Dean’s driving, it was Turnupseed’s.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Alan Brase

        Anyone who has worked on both will begin to understand.Look at old racing pics. Some showed 5 out of 7 top finishers of be Porsche 356’s. all this with a beetle based engine. One can get much more power today from a type 1 VW motor. It was the magic of the chassis. Along about 1963, a 356C did a skidpad performance that stayed at the highest number till the new 1984 Corvette came out and generated a full 1.0G of lateral acceleration. 2 years later Chevy softened the ride and the numbers. 21 years on the top with a 15 year old basic FLAWED design.
        356 club race cars still do well today.

        Like 1
  13. Avatar Jeffrey Platt

    $325,000 without an engine!? I guess a lot of people have WAY more money than brains!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar LAB3

    Original engine available at extra cost? Another greedy money hungry scumbag!

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    • Avatar Adam Wright

      He’s located a period correct engine, not the original.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    Greedy? Oh, I don’t know. If I had this hulk in my garage, I’d be tickled to relieve some dummy of 325K, and you could call me a greedy scumbag all you want.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Moe

    Too rich for my blood, but super cool find!

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    • Avatar Alan Brase

      And all this time we thought DDR just had Trabbies! East Germans were always poor for the most part. After reunification, there was vast talent pool of young people. Some were working as electrical technicians at a state of the art robotic food distribution center and as a Master electrician, I ended up covering local licensing for them. (Got paid a lot, just to be there.) I worked several months with them, one was a car nut, said he’d seen Porsches, but never driven one. At lunch, I ran home and got my 911. After work I gave him a ride he’ll never forget, then said “your turn.” He drove rather timidly, but so would I, probably. that was fun.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Bob Hess

    Derek… Could be a really good body but if the longitudnals rust in the rear near the rear torsion bar you get blocks to hold it level for pictures. Easy fix, parts available. This ’59 race car we built came strapped to a huge 2 x 10 so it would be level enough to roll around.

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  18. Avatar snerd

    plastic Porsches don’t rust

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    • Avatar Adam Wright

      Yeah, but who has 3 million for a plastic one?

      Like 0
  19. Avatar snerd

    picture now

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  20. Avatar Nicolas Giguère

    Holly Molly, at this price ? No, thanks.

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Ric Parrish

    My buddy had a about 1955 speedster, looked a lot like this. He bought it basically unrepaired after it had been flipped, slid over a barb wire fence decapitating the couple in it. We drove it with the barbwire scratches still running down the trunk. Wonder what it would be worth today?

    Like 0

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