Vehicle Description
1952 PORSCHE 356 CABRIOLET PRE-A SPLIT WINDOW
Chassis No. 10266
Engine No. 30909 (current engine)
California car
Original floor pans
Very rare Pre-A Split Window Cabriolet, United States delivery with
Interim-bumpers. Fourth from the last Split Window Cabriolet built,
completed April 22, 1952, and delivered new to the US Porsche
dealer - Hoffman Motors in New York, New York. According to a
source, there were a total of 40 split cabs with US export interim
bumpers made based on reviewing all Kardex's from that era.
According to the Split Window registry, there are less than ten US
Spilt Window Cabs known today. The factory Porsche Kardex & CoA
confirms the 1500cc engine number as 30242 (type 527), finished in
the Sand Grey (color code 527) with a Red leather interior. The
Certificate of Authenticity confirms the original equipment:
Telefunken Radio, Antenna, Comfort Seats, Ventilation Wheels,
Cooling Rings, Reinforced Bumpers, Tachometer and Odometer.
Not much is known about the early history in the 1950s and 1960s,
but it does have California Black plates and has been registered in
California since the 1960s. In the mid - 1970s this 356 was
advertised in the Los Angeles Times and purchased by a California
Highway Patrol officer who also had a 1952 356 Coupe. In the late
1980s, the 356 was purchased by an avid Volkswagen Bus collector
who worked with Tom Birch, a leader in the 356 split-window
registry and a key figure in helping preserve the early cars. Birch
helped with the mechanics and installation of a new wiring harness.
In the late 1990s, the 356 changed hands again and ended up at
Victor Miles's shop for some light restoration work.
The current owner purchased this 356 in Redwood City, California in
2008 as a keeper and loved the 356 just the way you see it today...
A lot of time and money was spent having the 356 sorted including
rebuilding the engine, going through the braking system, fixing
everything to work properly and having the original Veigel gauges
restored by North Hollywood Speedometer. Mechanically this 356 runs
phenomenal with plenty of horsepower, a smooth-shifting
transmission with synchromesh able to upshift up and down without
any effort and the brakes stop the car as they should.
This 356 has many of its original period specifications down to the
last detail. Most of the interior is original with the exception of
the front seats & the soft top that was upholstered 30 plus years
ago. Dominating the dashboard is the original 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. The undercarriage is completely original and
untouched after 68 years including the floor pans and the
longitudinals a very honest example. 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.