These days, there’s some occasional discussion about whether eBay is still the best place to sell a vintage car. Just recently, a friend of mine sold an R107 Mercedes-Benz for a world record price not on Bring A Trailer but via a dealer auction in South Carolina. And even with eBay getting hammered by the likes of BaT, certain cars remind us that for the right car with a great story and desirable equipment, the listing venue really doesn’t matter. This 1958 Porsche 356 Super cabriolet listed here on eBay has attracted bids of over $85,000 with the reserve still unmet.
The 356 market is one that, in my opinion, has adjusted a fair amount. This is particularly true of project cars which used to trade hands for $50,000 or more; now, you can get into a somewhat solid example for $25,000 – $30,000. That’s still a lot of scratch for a project, but it’s a far more reasonable starting point. However, on the other end of the spectrum, well-optioned survivors that don’t need immediate restoration like this car are pulling down strong numbers. The car shown here is said to had been with the same owner for over 50 years before the seller got his hands on it.
The car has been partially restored since its garage extraction, with the most obvious work being the new interior. I wish the seller had left it alone, personally. Even if it was tatty, well-worn leather surfaces just strike me as entirely appropriate for an unrestored car like this. The combination strikes me as odd, too, as I can’t recall seeing too many 356s with red seating surfaces and tan carpeting. Black would seem like the obvious choice, but that gripe aside, the door panels, dash pad, and all hardware appear quite nice. The original steering wheel has been lost.
From an equipment standpoint, this 356 is hard to beat: not only is it spec’d with the more powerful Super engine, it also left the factory wearing Rudge wheels and a factory hardtop. The Rudge wheels have also been lost, sadly, but I would endeavor to replace those if it were my car. The factory hardtop is a major score, and although it has some body damage, it would be well worth the cost of restoring. The Super specs give this 356 around 75 horsepower and 86 lb.-ft. of torque, so when you put it all together, it’s hardly a surprise that this car is going for the price it’s going for.
Great find! The difference between placing a vehicle on BaT and Ebay is the amount of “pictures” required to accurately portray a vehicle at this price mark and the continual feedback with potential buyers that BaT requires. This Porsche is absolutely gorgeous and would do very well on BaT…but I can hear the questions now! “Was the previous owner Male or Female?” – “Do we know for sure if the original hubcaps are gone?” Etc! Sometimes it’s just not worth it and based on what you’ve shown here – and maybe a video – the car sells itself.
I do wonder why so often the straight-on side profile pictures are not taken. Sellers seem big on the ¾ shots but I want to see the entire profile of the car. Can’t think of a good reason not to include these two shots. Great looking car though!
One of the other key differences is the company you keep on BaT versus eBay. BaT is known for its high end cars and eBay is always sketchy.
Couple that with what you already mentioned and the fact that BaT sends out daily emails featuring their highest end auctions and provides daily and new activity updates on auctions you’re interested in and it’s just a better option in my humble opinion.
Good pictures on eBay ad. My first Porsche was a ’57 Cabriolet bought for $500 with a good original interior and needing paint. Great driver and lots of fun. Nice one here.
6 cylinders?
How does one stumble upon a “garage find” like this? Prayer? I’ve been searching, but all I find are ‘ 49 Nash Ambassadors, and the like.
A lot of these finds are through word of mouth, letting everyone you know that you are looking for an old car, then following up, even if it’s just a phone call.
Driving an older car, either related to the cars you want or from the same era, works well too. I knew a guy that would drive a late-60’s 2dr sedan around town, people would strike up conversations with him all the time, those conversations led to several sales and purchases over the years.
Steve R
Maybe, serendipity, plays a role?
The Sprite we are building now came to me standing in a registration line at a race track. Guy in line with me knew the original owner and said the car was sitting in a back yard in Virginia and had been for years. After all sorts of mashinations we wound up meeting the owner’s son in Charleston, SC to buy the car.
Plus I’m thinking old fashioned luck helps too, Jack? : )
My mom used to say, “ you make your own luck”.
Steve R
Other times you just get lucky, Jack. : )
Nice car for sure—i sold a 1965 cabriolet that also had a hardtop and the soft top –the buyer didn’t want the hardtop even though i tried my hardest to convince him of the rarity—so if any one is looking for a hardtop for a B or C cabriolet, i know where you can get one.
1.6 liter 6 cylinder engine? And et cetera is abbreviated as “etc.” not “ect.” Jeez.
Some cars are like gold, their value goes up as fast as any stock.
As a kid growing up in the 50’s my dads friend drove one of these cars and raced it in the desert in Arizona up against the imerging Corvettes and Thunderbirds of the day.
They too were considered “sports cars” at that time and were included in these road races.
The Porches always seemed to win regardless of the fact they had V8 engines in them.
I loved these Porches then and adore them now.
Unfortunately my pockets aren’t deep enough to pruchase one of these beautiful cars today>
The auction ended on 11/15/2025 with a high bid of $83,300, did not meet reserve.
Steve R