For Sale at Auction: 1962 Porsche 356 in Monterey, California

Chassis No. 89620
Engine No. 700087
Transmission No. 50333

As featured in the September 1961 issue of Christophorus, Porsche's in-house magazine, a notable shift occurred in the spring of that year within the exclusive circle of coachbuilders tasked with constructing Porsche bodies. Joining the ranks of Reutter, Karmann, Drauz, Beutler, Gl�ser, and Heuer was a new name: Anciens Etablissements D'Ieteren Freres S.A. of Brussels, Belgium. Founded in 1805, D'Ieteren was among Europe's most storied coachbuilders. The article wryly noted that the company had been producing carriages "before their shafts were sawn off, leaving the horses without a job."

D'Ieteren had taken over Roadster body construction from Drauz, and while the company was concurrently involved in selling and assembling Volkswagens and Studebakers, its work on the 356 Roadster was regarded as a passion project-an undertaking fueled by pride and craftsmanship. D'Ieteren began building Roadsters during the 356 B T5 production run and ultimately completed 472 examples of the model that had originally succeeded the Speedster in 1959. By September 1961, they transitioned to producing the updated 356 B T6 variant, identifiable by its signature twin-grille engine lid-an enlarged rear deck with two vertical ventilation slots. Additional refinements included a widened front trunk lid and the newly added external fuel filler door on the right front fender.

This final iteration of the 356 Roadster, often referred to as the "Twin Grille Roadster," is widely considered the most desirable and collectible among Porsche enthusiasts. According to Porsche's chassis records, D'Ieteren built just 248 examples of the T6 Roadster, making it one of the rarest air-cooled Porsches of its kind. Chassis number 89620 is one such example. Originally destined for the U.S. market, it was finished in Ruby Red with a Black leather interior and outfitted with the sole factory option of reclining seats (Liegesitze). The car was first delivered to J. Ralph Parker of San Jose, California.

Documentation on file reveals a small string of two additional California owners before the rare Roadster was acquired by Jim Rinker. In the late 2000s, Rinker was in the midst of restoring chassis 89620 when his good friend Bill Tripodi notified him of his search for a red (preferably darker Ruby Red) 356 B Twin Grille Roadster originally fit with a 1,600-cc Super engine, a tall order to be sure! Much to Tripodi's luck the 356 he so desired was in Rinker's hands undergoing metal finishing by Urs Gretener, one of the finest metal craftsmen in the industry. Over the next three years the restoration of the Twin Grille was looked after by the best in the business under Tripodi's watchful eye. The matching-numbers Super engine rebuild and restoration was completed by John Willhoit with a counterweighted crankshaft, later connecting rods, 91-mm pistons and cylinders, and a number of other top shelf components at Tripodi's request to enhance the low and mid-range torque characteristics. The result heightened far more than the torque curve with the engine now producing 105 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque beginning at 3,200 rpm. At the same time the matching-numbers four-speed transmission was meticulously rebuilt by Jon Bunin Werkstatt.

Black Spinneybeck leather was selected to adorn the interior trim work. The dashboard features a rare new old stock Motometer outside temperature gauge, restored VDO gauges, and switchgear. To protect the interior from the elements the Roadster top was restored with fresh black German canvas. All five date-stamped (10/61) wheels, including the spare, were completely renewed in correct chrome finish with Super hubcaps and shod with 165-15 Pirelli Cinturato tires. The details within the trunk-often overlooked-were correctly finished down to the correct one-year-only Porsche toolkit and restored Bilstein jack. Furthermore, to this day, the Roadster retains the correct books and serialized Porsche-issued Service Book.

It should be no surprise that Tripodi's Twin-Grille captured nearly every important Southern California 356 concours award after the completion of the restoration in 2014. In chronological order, it took home First in Class at the 2014 La Jolla Concours, First in Class and Best in Show at the 2015 Dana Point 356 Club Concours, First in Class at Palos Verdes the same year and received a record breaking score of 299.6 out of 300 total points at the Huntington Beach 356 Club Concours in 2017-naturally taking home First in Class and Best in Show once again. Small wonder that many believe this to be one of the finest, if not the finest, 356 B Twin Grille D'Ieteren Roadsters on offer in recent memory. With just 237 miles on the restoration since completion, it presents an amazing opportunity to acquire a concours-winning, expertly restored example of one of Porsche's most celebrated open-air icons-ready to be shown, enjoyed, and admired at the highest levels.