Here’s a car that will almost certainly look nothing like it does here in a few short years. The Convertible D is one of the rarest 356s ever made, and despite this notoriety, it didn’t stop an owner from converting to a track toy when it was likely just a used up sports car. The model was intended to address the fact that sales of the iconic Speedster were slowing, but there was still demand for a weekend racer. This Convertible D was clearly put back together quickly and crudely, or at least just band-aided together as racing schedules demanded based on some of the sloppy welding work shown in the photos. Check it out here on eBay where bidding is over $50,000 with no reserve.
The Convertible D was introduced to basically soften the Speedster’s image ever so slightly without blurring the lines too much between this car and a standard 356 convertible. The idea was to make the Convertible D a more livable version of the Speedster, without distorting the Speedster’s personality as a car you could drive to the track on Saturday and to work on Monday. The new features of the Convertible D included a larger rear window, seats with more padding, a higher windshield frame, roll-up windows, and a top frame with tubular steel construction and rain gutters integrated.
The car seen here has all the hallmarks of being someone’s vintage racer, with a non-matching engine from a 356C featuring Solex 40Pii Carbs and racing flutes. The transmission is believed to be original, and it also features a 12V coil and generator. As you can see here, the floors have been replaced, along with the battery box and rockers. However, the gallery photos show where some corners were cut along the way, and there’s still plenty of body filler and rust to address. The seller guesses that if restoration is on the menu, you’re going to have to re-do much of the repair work that’s previously been attempted.
The good news is the core pieces are there to bring it back to Convertible D specs. The original windshield frame is included, along with the top mechanism. The Speedster-style aluminum seats are also there, but the seller suspects they are period reproductions and not original. Some other period upgrades are present, like larger front 356B drum brakes. Overall, this is a big project like any other forgotten 356, but unlike a standard coupe model, the Convertible D is well worth the effort to restore, and will likely still net the next owner a profit when it comes time to sell the finished product.
Rare car indeed. Owned two of these in the ’70s, one with a straight body and most of the underside rusted away and the second a rust free car that tried to move a power pole at high speed. Spent a year of hard work putting structure under the first one and made it into a race car. The $85 purchase price for nothing but the stripped tub made for a good car for a low price. Suspension modifications, slightly modified 912 engine, and safety gear and we were on the track. Loads of fun. This car with good pans etc. still has major rust in the critical area of the rear torsion bar mounts so it’s got some rust work ahead of it too. Porsche switched the same basic chassis to the “60 through ’62 356B roadsters which are selling for crazy money these days. Oh… did have to pay $100 for the wrecked car. Those were the days.
For sure. A quick way to get depressed is to think how much less I could have paid for one of these back in the day.
That can be said about nearly all cars that have developed an enthusiastic following.
Steve R
Item location:
Ravena, New York