Vehicle Description
1951 Porsche 356 Pre-A Split-Window Coupe VIN 11260
Very early Pre-A European Coupe, featuring the split windscreen and
body-to-bumper styling. It was delivered new to the Schmidt & Koch
dealership in Bremen, Germany, in 1951. The original factory Kardex
confirms it was finished in maroon with a grey interior. It later
was sold to Tom Birch in the early 1970s, a leading light in the
356 split-window registry and a key figure in helping preserve the
early cars. He used it as his daily driver until the 1980s when it
passed to Jim Jenks, founder of the famous Ocean Pacific surf
clothing and apparel company.
The next owner, Dieter Vongehr, had founded a specialist Porsche
garage in San Diego and was a high-profile member of the Porsche
Club of America. He carried out a sympathetic restoration and
upgraded the engine to a correct-type, but slightly later 1500
Super engine from 1953. The car is also fitted with the correct
'crashbox' transaxle. It then passed to the Ingram Collection in
Durham, North Carolina, which contains perhaps the finest examples
of Porsche cars.
The current owner sent the car to Emory Motorsports which has
restored Porsche Werks cars, including the 1951 Le Mans winner. The
firm was tasked with returning the car to its original period
specification down to the last detail. Their meticulous work
included commissioning Autobahn Interiors to recreate the seats and
door cards based on original Reutter factory records. It features
the correct grey vinyl and cloth seats with close-woven carpets.
Dominating the dashboard is the correct period six-volt Telefunken
ID51 tube radio with AM and SW, programmable by perfect ivory
pre-selective pushbuttons. It also features the early steering
wheel, which is unadorned by the Porsche emblem that featured on
the later cars. Affixed to the spare wheel is also a rare and
complete Hazet toolset. Cherished by a series of marque
connoisseurs, this 356 is perfect for historic touring events and
ideal for a collector seeking a very early example of the Stuttgart
split-window cars.
History
The next chapter in Porsche history began on 6 April 1950 when the
first Porsche Coupe 356 left the assembly line in Stuttgart. The
new steel body was made by Karosseriewerk Reutter, which had been
making limousine bodies since the 1930s and had a reputation for
excellent quality. The coachbuilder was a natural choice for
Porsche and was to become the main supplier of Porsche bodies for
the next two decades.
Those early cars are denoted by the windshield, which featured a
peak in the roof's leading edge and a split front window. They also
have the purest design thanks to the slim body-colored bumpers
fitted tightly to the body to accentuate style and aide the
slippery aerodynamics that were crucial to overcoming the limited
horsepower. The result is a timeless design.