Vehicle Description
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Factory electric sunroof, original leather seating
Very original and preserved 356, with 28,713 original miles
Matching numbers engine and transmission
Comprehensive engine, suspension and brake system rebuild in
2016
Matching body panel numbers
Has Kardex, owner's manual, original shipping tag and promotional
documents
Often times the visual that comes to people's minds when "early
Porsches" are mentioned is the classic and iconic Porsche 356. With
its timeless styling that evolved over the course of its 10+ year
production run, increasingly gaining power and handling
improvements during that time, it became a well-known and
well-liked sports car. With space for two front passengers and 2
slightly smaller passengers in the back, it became a sports car
that could be argued as "practical." No doubt helping with its
popularity, the 356 would cement itself as one of the all-time
greats of early sports car design and still reflects that today
with its enthusiast base and strong values.
This matching numbers Porsche 356B 1600 "Super" was finished by the
Porsche factory on June 10th, 1963. According to the Kardex, the
car was optioned with Ivory paint over red leather. Some of the
additional options included the rare electric sunroof, chrome
plated wheels, and its decorative molding. Its first owner was
Colonel Walter W. Long of Chicago, IL. It is believed that Long
took European delivery of the car and enjoyed the 356 for a little
while before shipping the car home. This is due to the finish and
delivery date on the Kardex being the same date, as well as the
first maintenance service of 400km being completed by Rossel,
Wiesbaden on June 26th, 1963. Once the car arrived on U.S. soil, it
received its second service at Hoffman Motors on November 3rd, 1963
with 1,981 miles on the odometer. On March 6th, 1971 Walt took the
car to Wilgner Tire, Inc in Albuquerque, New Mexico for new
Michelin tires and tubes with an indicated 19,592 miles on the
car.
The ivory 356 would go through various caretakers over the years,
before emerging in Colorado around 2011. Ernst Benzien was a major
collector on the east coast with a stunning collection of original
Porsches. He purchased the car between 2011 and 2012 to be a part
of his growing car collection, most of which were Porsches. The car
had been repainted in its correct Ivory paintwork, but the rest of
the car remained original and true to how it left the Porsche
factory. He kept the car until 2016 when he passed away, and his
entire collection was sold to new owners. This particular original
356 found its home in Los Angeles as part of the owner's
small-but-growing Porsche collection. Before the car was shipped to
Southern California, the car was thoroughly gone through by
Automobile Associates of Canton, Inc. of Canton, Connecticut for an
intensive and thorough servicing. The 356 was treated to a full
engine rebuild and tuning, with major suspension components
replaced including shocks, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings. The
front wheel bearings were disassembled, cleaned and then repacked.
The entire brake system was gone through and addressed, replacing
all brake shoes, springs, wheel cylinders and hoses along with the
brake master cylinder. The carburetors were rebuilt, gearbox
resealed, with the steering damper and steering coupler also
replaced. Once the service and maintenance were completed, the 356
had amassed a bill of $18,581.12, thoroughly ensuring that all of
the mechanical items were addressed and had been taken care of.
Once the car arrived in Los Angeles, he kept the car inside of a
storage facility in order to preserve the car. After enjoying the
356 for almost 3 years, the car arrived at Canepa's facility.
One of the first things Bruce Canepa takes part in when a new
arrival comes to Canepa is looking over the details, both large and
small. Keen on even the smallest details, it was clear that this
car was an excellent preservation example and checked the right
boxes for many of the right people. With the clear phrase "It's
only original once", the original red leather seats carry the charm
from the factory. The engine bay, trunk and underside all reflect
the same, with many of the finishes and details still like how the
factory sent the car out with. The "Canepa Difference" process was
assigned to this excellent 356, with the emphasis on preserving and
servicing all items that needed attending to. What followed was a
comprehensive mechanical service to the sports car to ensure all
systems were working correctly, including a brake service,
servicing the factory electric sunroof, and fixing an oil leak. The
car was then treated to a full concours-level detailing regimen,
going through each conceivable space to ensure it was spotless. The
Ivory paint finish was given a foam pad polish using only light
compound as to preserve the paint. The original interior was
meticulously cleaned by hand both methodically and carefully as to
ensure to keep the finishes the way they were. Once completed, this
preservation Porsche 356 was ready for the showroom.
Being able to find and enjoy a preserved automobile is one of the
easiest ways to be transported back to another time period. Knowing
that the car you're driving, where you're sitting and what you're
seeing is how the original builders from that time put the car
together. Especially with cars that are 50+ years old, finding an
example such as thing is even more rare and makes them even that
more special. Being very original despite the test of time of more
than 55 years, this 1963 Porsche 356B 1600 "Super" is a true
diamond in the rough. Completely serviced, concours-level detailed,
and powered by its original engine and transmission that it left
with from the factory, the next caretaker will enjoy the miles just
as its first owner did 55 years ago.