Vehicle Description
1953 Porsche 356 Pre-A Bent-Window Coupe
VIN 50813
Completed July 12, 1953, and delivered to Hoffman Motors
The original owner first purchased in San Diego, California. In the
late 1950s, it was passed on to his son. Over the years Pre-A
passed through several owners in the Southern California area. The
current owner took possession in 2010, the 356 was partially
disassembled for a restoration that was never finished.
In 2015 a full nut and bolt, ground-up restoration was started, the
body was stripped to bare metal. Everything was metal finished to
perfection. All matching decks and doors. The paint was finished in
period correct color combination Adria Blue (509) with Gray
interior and corduroy inserts and was done by Jim Gordon Auto
Restorations in Paramount, California. The gauges were beautifully
restored by Palo Alto Speedometer. The matching 1500cc engine was
rebuilt by Glenn Roberts in San Diego, California. All the
mechanical was completely rebuilt to concour condition with no
expense spared.
Authenticity and attention to detail paid off. The 1953 Pre-A Coupe
was recognized at the 63rd Annual Porsche Club of America "Porsche
Parade" (July 2018) held in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri where it
was recognized as a Concours Restoration Group Award Winner
(formerly known as the Manhattan Trophy) - 1st in Class Restored
Category (scoring 299.8 out of 300 total points) & won the Gmund
Achievement Award for cars scoring 298-300 points!
August 21, 2018, shown at CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA CONCOURS ON THE AVENUE
- 1st in Class
August 24, 2018, shown at Porsche Club of America's Werks Reunion -
1st in Class
Complete with original tool kit, owner's manuals, spare parts, and
complete documentation of the restoration. An extremely unique
opportunity to own one of the best Porsche Pre-a Coupes.
Specification:
55 bhp, 1,488 cc Type 546 OHV air-cooled horizontally opposed
four-cylinder engine with two Solex downdraft carburetors,
four-speed manual transmission, independent front, and rear
suspension, with parallel trailing arms and a transverse laminated
torsion bar in the front and swing axles with transverse torsion
bars in the rear, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase:
2,100 mm
History
Simple, clean, elegant, and understated: that would describe the
aerodynamic little Porsche 356 Coupe of the early to mid-1950s.
While still utilizing some parts and design concepts originally
created for the humble Volkswagen Beetle, by 1953 the 356 was
showing clear signs of the steady development and evolution
demanded by Porsche's designers and engineers. The new model was
undergoing almost constant improvement as the factory strove to
simplify the manufacturing process for these largely hand-built
automobiles.