The desirability of the Porsche 356A means that they typically generate plenty of interest when they hit the market. However, this 1956 example springs a surprise, because the auction action has defied the odds. The images included in this article are the best the seller supplies, and their condition and history descriptions are nonexistent. That hasn’t dampened enthusiasm, with the car receiving seventeen bids since the seller listed it here on eBay in Memphis, Tennessee. That has pushed the price to $24,000, which is below the reserve.
Porsche introduced the 356A in late 1955 as an update to its existing 356. The company didn’t reinvent the wheel, although there were a few welcome changes below the surface. This classic left the line in 1956, and with the seller’s description limited to a few minor details, their images provide the best chance to assess its condition. The overall condition of the paint suggests that someone may have refreshed this Porsche at some point, and the Bondo falling from the front fender indicates the repaint may have been due to minor accident damage. The remaining panels are straight, but a high-end restoration would entail stripping the Porsche to bare metal to eliminate any hidden problems. The underside shots reveal surface corrosion, although I only spotted one small area of penetrating rust. The front bumper is missing, but most of the trim is intact.
I tend to be careful with cars like this Porsche because the company offered 1956 buyers several engine options that look visually similar. However, decoding the engine block number confirms it is this car’s rear-mounted air-cooled four is the 1,582cc version that delivered 59hp and 81 ft/lbs of torque in its prime. All versions of the 356A sent their power to the road via a four-speed manual transaxle, and, in its prime, this Porsche would have hit a factory-claimed 99mph. The mysteries continue with this classic because the seller doesn’t state whether the engine turns, let alone runs. The bulletproof nature of these motors suggests revival may be possible, though factoring in a mechanical rebuild into the restoration budget would be wise.
The seller provides several interior images in their listing, and a review of them confirms that it is missing only a couple of small items, such as handles and switch knobs. Crucial components like the seats and dash are intact, but this is another aspect of the Porsche that requires copious amounts of TLC. Kits to recapture its former glory are available, but they typically retail for over $5,000. That’s a lot of money, but if this 356A presents perfectly following its restoration, it could represent a great return on that investment.
Classics like this 1956 Porsche 356A invariably leave me scratching my head. The car’s desirability is undeniable, with pristine examples often commanding six-figure sale prices. My frustration is that the seller’s information is so limited, and the images are undeniably substandard. They have done nothing to effectively “sell” this car. Having said that, the Watch List tally of fifty is pretty respectable. The 24-hour Listing View figures also suggest that this Porsche has turned a few heads. Would you consider pursuing it further, or does the listing raise more questions than answers?
I will never understand the hype on these it really is just a reshaped Beetle with a little bit of performance added .And guys you don’t need to say how they’re the quintessential sports car I personally don’t get it just my personal opinion
A modern tulip bulb.
I’m with you. Always thought these looked ugly with skinny wheels and tucked way in. Feel the same about the Jag XKE’s.
Oh my.
these sporty VW cars are not ugly. Furthermore, XKEs are beautiful. I am curious as to what you drive for daily transportation
@Tbone
67 GT Cougar when it’s nice and a 69 C-10 on the other days.
Quintessential sports car. 😉
Just remember the cars of the past are today’s cars ( I think the car is art )
The shape came from early ’50s race cars and bled up to the street cars. Demand for their cars went up in the mid ’50s and they obliged. The 4 taillights were replaced by tear drops in late ’57s and the horse was out of the barn. They are fun to drive to this day.
You’re re correct, you don’t get it. I count myself among the throngs that do get it. And want want want it. The 356 in any iteration is pure magic.
You nailed it
What is a closet case?
I bought a ‘561500GS Carrera coupe in 1961, and didn’t know what I had. They made very few with that 4 cam engine. I paid $1,350 then. Sold later for $2,500. Current prices over $300,000! People love these things.
Seller’s information is “limited,” Adam? That may be the understatement of the year.
I like 356s, and I know they command top-dollar when in any kind of restorable condition, but I’d be a little leery of buying from a company called “Clazzic Autos.” The scarcity of data and what appears to be a goodly amount of Bondo underneath the (lousy) paint job put me off, too.
Still, if someone takes this on and is willing to pour the requisite quantity of dollars into it, they’ll have a fun ride. I’d get Porsche to provide the Kardex info on it too, as original paint/interior color and matching numbers count for a lot in 356-land.
The color code 605 shown in one of the pics translates to Sahara Beige. Very nice.
Metal on these is very thick. I’d say the thick Bondo was put on by someone who wasn’t a body shop employee.
Hey Tbone, what is a closet case? I have no justification for outrageous prices, I just think it’s gorgeous. If you would drop an XK120 body on top of a Pinto chassis I would call it beautiful and want it. I wouldn’t say it was worth Jag prices.
If you google the phrase you will find the answer. The meaning of every insult is easily found.
Steve R
A friend has a 356 Coupe and loves it. It’s not perfect but is solid. He generally uses it as a daily driver. (As much as a retired person with 4 other vehicles will use it.) I think they are interesting but not my cup of tea. When in high-school, a local guy who frequented local autocrosses had a coupe with a Corvair engine. THAT WAS FAST!
Something, any thing, is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. We live in an insane age where someone paid millions for a banana taped to a wall. This car needs a lot of work but to someone who loves these little watchwork beauties like I do, it’d be a labor of love. Plus, I can pick up a 912 engine even with my bad back!
Seems like there’s some tin missing around the engine which allows heat from the exhaust pipes into the engine bay. All the rubber air seals are probably gone too, which means this engine has been running hot.
If the seals were original they probably just fell apart. Rubber wasn’t real great those days. Not having the seals isn’t a big deal as they don’t affect cooling as much as crap coming off the road and getting all over the engine.
Jimmy Dean made these things iconic IMHO and I’ve always loved the lines (or lack thereof) of them but a performance vehicle they were not. With a lot of these BF vehicles I usually tip my hat and existentially say “GL” to whomever has the dream and time and money. Goodness knows whether any of these appear again totally done, but I’ve got a small barn-full myself to get to or get to here with. Love the site and the fun folks who feed it with fresh stuff for us all to enjoy. XO
I think you mean James Dean. Jimmy Dean was the sausage guy.
His friends called him Jimmy…
Never appreciated these little cars until I went to several vintage races at Summit Point, West Virginia. These were “points” meets and the cars all had to have a documented racing pedigree. I saw cars I never heard of before and talked to drivers that had raced them at Le Mans and Sebring. It was a surprise to see how fast the 356s were. :-) Terry J
We built our first Porsche race car in ’72 out of a rusty ’59 Convertible D roadster. Minor suspension mods, 912 engine, and it weighed out at 1300 pounds. Tied the SCCA group B track record first time out. Our daily driver at the time was a ’64 356-C coupe and these two were part of a total of 14 356s we have owned. Didn’t buy them to be cool. They were fun, dependable cars.
Fun little cars when they were cheap, good for a laugh. Took a while to understand how they handled, but then, for sure a good time on the road. A friend had oone back in the 70s. Awful paint job, but no rust. He would say to people, look, I drive a Porsche and everyone would laugh. He laughed to. Today, it is all about image and investment. Sad to think that the economics of today are so distorted that some people have absurd kind of money to just throw at things, things we used to buy cheap, have fun with. When I think of the worth here once restored I cringe. That could buy me one heck of a wonderful restored good driving domestic car, plus a fine garage/shop to put it in with enough left over for the wife and I to take a great trip around North America in it. That would be my choice. A car to drive, to have fun with. Not to brag or end up on a portfolio.
Too dear. I like the cars, but this one looks too whooped.
Quintessential! A true ‘bath tub’ Porsche!!
Whooo !! To much bondo in the front right side fender! What is hidden behind’s!! “ pandora box! I pass thanks respectfully
Tin around the engine is missing ( shouldn’t be able to see the ground!) and I surmise the rubber air seal around the front of the engine is gone too, which means this engine has been running hot. Ach du Lieber!
Well, people don’t “get” it but they are really neat little cars and despite being a design that from a hundred feet away people ass-ume it’s nothing more than a sporty Beetle, trust me- it is not. I grew up around them and bought my first in 1993 (still have it) and have had a couple others since.
I can’t swing the price to buy more but they deserve a lot more respect that to be lumped in as just an expensive VW.
Ended at $38,700.
Reserve Not Met.
24 bids.