Vehicle Description
1962 Porsche 356B T6 "SUPER" Twin Grill Roadster
• Factory Slate Gray with Gray interior
• Number 24 of only 248 T6 D'leteren Roadsters produced
• Completed on November 13, 1961
• Delivered on January 20, 1962, at Brumos in Jacksonville
California car with Yellow/Black plates in exceptional condition
throughout. Finished in Slate Grey (6201) with Black leather
interior. Exterior brightwork, glass, and the 4.5" x 15" chrome
steel wheels are all in remarkable shape. The upholstery exhibits
just the right amount of wear for its age with a VDM Carrera wood
steering wheel, deluxe horn ring, day/night rearview mirror, and
VDO instrumentation. The undercarriage is in excellent condition
having recently benefitted from a full undercarriage detail
performed by European Collectibles.
According to the Porsche Kardex, VIN 89624 was delivered by Brumos
Porsche in Jacksonville, Florida finished in Slate Gray with a Gray
interior. Options include reclining seats, outside rear-view Ponto
mirrors, rear luggage suitcase, VDM Carrera wood steering wheel,
deluxe horn ring, day/night rearview mirror, and compensating
spring. The earliest record starts on September 13th, 1988, where
the previous owner, Mr. Grossman (a San Francisco Attorney),
purchased this Roadster from the Auto Boutique in Encinitas,
California for $30,962. In 1995, Mr. Grossman commissioned
Professionally Engineered Products in Los Osos, California to
complete a full restoration and elected to have the interior color
changed from gray to black. After the restoration was completed,
Mr. Grossman enjoyed the Twin Grill Roadster for the next 26 years
and maintained the 356 over two and half decades.
Mechanically powered by its (616/12) 1600cc flat-four "SUPER"
engine producing 75 horsepower with a matching (741) 4-speed manual
transmission and freshly rebuilt four-wheel drum brake system. The
factory stamped number on the cover plate of the engine matches the
Kardex and is original to the car. The top end of the engine was
recently rebuilt including new pistons and cylinders, rebuilt
cylinder heads, new valve guides, rebuilt connecting rods, and new
rod bearings. This is a very fun 356 to drive with no issues.
Complete with original Porsche keys, Porsche Kardex, boot cover,
tool kit, jack, owner's manual, and 33 years of extensive service
history. Roadsters of all years have become highly collectible, and
high-quality, documented, examples such as this come to market
infrequently.
History
Porsche's popular 356 Roadster was introduced in September 1959 for
the 1960 model year as a replacement of the one-year-only
Convertible D, the Speedster's more civilized successor. The new
T-5 Roadster was built until September of 1961 and brought several
marked changes in appearance: the front fenders and headlamps were
raised, as were both the front and rear bumpers, to better deal
with urban parking. New vertical bumper guards also helped in that
respect. New brake-cooling intakes were added to the nose below the
front bumper. There were new cast-aluminum Alfin brake drums with
iron liners, and the brakes had improved sealing to repel
water.
Porsche's 356 B Roadster was the final evolution of the iconic
Speedster, which was replaced by the Drauz-built Convertible D in
1959. Drauz eventually handed over some of its Roadster production
to Porsche's Belgian distributor, D'Ieteren Freres, and the cars
from D'Ieteren can be immediately identified by their pair of
engine cover cooling grilles which is called the Twin Grill
Roadster built over a 6-month period before be discontinued in
March of 1962 due to the fact that the Cabriolet had become more
popular in sales.
The Roadster shares many of the comfort attributes of the
Convertible D, including roll-up windows, comfortable Coupe seats,
and a well-constructed convertible top frame with a tan-painted
frame and wraparound rear window. For those with competition in
mind, the windshield could be removed, and roadsters, like the
Speedster and Convertible D, soon became popular in amateur sports
car racing around the world.
