Vehicle Description
European Collectibles has recently acquired a 1959 Porsche 356A
Convertible D that is very straight with original floor pans and
all matching numbers that is an excellent candidate for a full
concours restoration. VIN Number 86693 was originally finished in
Ivory (5704) with Red leatherette interior. It was the 806
Convertible D built, completed on July 23, 1959. Factory options
include an ashtray, cigarette lighter, US bumpers, Ponto Stabil
mirror, 2 safety belts, a jack, a spare rim, and an original tool
kit.
Delivered new to the first owner Mr. Sayles in La Jolla,
California. The second owner from Tarzana purchased the Convertible
D on September 30, 1975, and owned this 356 for the past 46 years.
This 356 Convertible D has remained a California over the past 62
years. You may elect to restore this example back to its original
color combination or change it to another period-correct color
combination of your choice. This example has its matching engine,
transmission, fuel tank, fuel sender, date-coded wheels, decks, and
doors.
European Collectibles is offering an exclusive opportunity to
acquire a Convertible D and have our team of experts complete a
full concour restoration in any color combination you choose. The
Convertible Ds have only been getting harder and harder to find and
are the same body as the Speedster with a taller windshield,
roll-up windows, taller top, and coupe seats.
History of the Convertible D
The 1958-1959 Porsche 356A Convertible D model is arguably one of
the rarest "production" Porsche 356 models ever manufactured for a
full year (T6 "twin grille" Roadster was produced for only a few
months). Only 1,331 Convertible Ds were made between August 1958
and September 1959. By 1958 the Speedster model was four years old,
and sales were declining. Porsche realized that significant
improvements were necessary to attract new buyers, but that there
was certainly a market for a "weekend racer" with a removable
windshield. The Porsche 356A Convertible D was the solution (though
a modern marketing department would have picked a racier
name!).
Because overall Porsche sales were growing at a steady pace, and
the Reutter coachworks were straining to keep up with the demand,
Porsche contracted with the Drauz company in Heilbronn to
manufacture bodies for the Convertible D (the "D" stood for
Karosseriewerke Drauz KG). On July 31, 1958, Porsche sent a letter
to all of their Porsche dealers announcing the new "Convertible D"
model and specifying the differences.
All in all, the Convertible D is a more practical 356 than the
Speedster: a larger windshield, roll-up side windows, and more
comfortable seats while retaining the beautiful body lines and the
downward sloping beltline that now attracts so many 356
enthusiasts. Of course, some of the minimalist, racier features of
the Speedster were lost, and many Porsche purists complained long
and loud in 1958!
For the 1960 model year, the Convertible D model was replaced by
the 356 B Roadster based on the new T5 body style. However, sales
of the "stripped down" 356 continued to decline, and the last year
of Roadster production was in 1962 when just 248 T6-bodied cars
were made, with production ceasing well before the end of the model
year. In the current market, it is ironic that these 356 models
that were the least expensive "back in the day" Speedster,
Convertible D, and Roadster are now more expensive than the luxury
version Cabriolets.