Even better, this Porsche 356A offers an open-air experience, coming equipped with a convertible soft-top. This exceptional vehicle is truly a special find for any discerning collector or enthusiast.

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The car comes powered by a flat-four 1600 engine that is paired with Weber dual carburetors, and an engaging 4-speed manual transmission. This Porsche 356A delivers optimal performance and a distinctive engine sound that will turn heads wherever you go. Its additional equipment includes VDO instrumentation, chrome headlight rings, dual exhaust outlets, Nardi wood steering wheel, numbers-matching front hood, numbers-matching single-grille engine decklid, chrome trim, body-color bumpers with chrome overriders, Michelin tires, 15-inch wheels, and chrome hub caps with Porsche crests.

The convenience manual-crank windows, and driver-side rearview mirror ensure optimal visibility and control on the road. Featured amenities include a Blaupunkt radio with same branded amplifiers, an analog clock, a jack, and a spare tire fitted in the front trunk. Every aspect of this vehicle has been carefully crafted to provide a luxurious and memorable driving experience.

In addition to its timeless gorgeous design and optimal performance, this Porsche comes equipped with a range of special features that enhance its appeal. This particular example includes an owner’s manual, and service receipt copies, showcasing investment that totals over $12,000. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a first-time buyer, this Reutter-bodied 1959 356A Cabriolet is a great find that deserves a place in your collection and is mechanically sound.

Although Ferdinand Porsche had established his independent automotive design consultancy in the early 1930s, his name would not appear on a car until 1949, when it would be attributed to the similar genius of his son Ferry.

When it did, it graced one of the all-time great sports cars: the Porsche 356. The work of Ferry Porsche, the Type 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father Ferdinand; and like his Dad’s immortal ‘Beetle’ employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and all-independent torsion bar suspension.

In 1951 a works Porsche 356 finished first in the 1,100cc class at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race, thus beginning the marque’s long and illustrious association with the Le Sarthe motoring circuit.

Having commenced manufacture with a short run of aluminum-bodied cars built in Austria, Porsche began volume production of the steel-bodied 356 coupé in Stuttgart in what was then West Germany; at first this was in premises shared with coachbuilders Reutter, but from 1955 in Ferdinand Porsche’s original factory, also in Stuttgart, in the district of Zuffenhausen, one of the three northernmost boroughs of the city.

The first phase of Porsche 356 development saw the car’s engine grow to 1.3 and then to 1.5 liters; the original split windscreen was replaced by a one-piece; and a Porsche synchromesh gearbox was adopted. It was in late 1955, with numerous small but significant changes, that the 356A was introduced, the restyled newcomer being readily distinguished by its rounded windscreen and 15″ – down from 16″ – wheels. A 1,600cc engine replaced the old 1.5-liter unit.

The 356A’s internal Porsche factory designation, ‘Type 1’, gave rise to its nickname ‘T1’ among enthusiasts. In the US, 1,200 early 356As had been badged as the ‘Continental’ and then a further 156 from autumn 1955 to January 1956 as an even rarer T1 ‘European’ variant after which it reverted to its numerical 356A designation.

For that ‘Continental’ naming almost got the company into big trouble, courtesy of Max Hoffman, the genius sole importer of Porsches into the USA. In the early 1930s Hoffman, born in Vienna, had been Europe’s first importer for Sweden’s Volvo.

Because of his Jewish origin, Max Hoffman fled to France when the Nazis took over Austria, leaving after a short time for the USA. Due to World War 2, the private market for cars was very slow in the USA, making it impossible for Max Hoffman to follow his passion for automobiles. Thanks to his impeccable intuition for possibilities and market niches, Max Hoffman started creating jewelry for women, using metallized plastic. He hit the mark, earning a small fortune.

But with the war over, Max Hoffman returned to his true passion – fast and luxurious automobiles.

Seeking a glamorous model name rather than merely a number, it was Hoffman who had blessed the 365A with the moniker ‘Continental’ for 356As sold into the United States. But Ford, manufacturers of the Lincoln Continental, took umbrage. And sued.

And so, it turns out, the beautiful magnificence that is the Porsche 356A is all in a number.

Over now to the numerologists…

-Alex Manos, Owner