Porsche 356 B 1600

Das Fahrzeug im Detail

Although this car has clearly been refurbished over the years, it doesn’t seem ever to have been fully restored and retains its numbers matching body panels and drivetrain. The black fabric soft top is in decent condition and folds away easily behind the front seats. As a BT5, this car only has one rear grille over the engine bay, and sitting below it are a pair of gold badges stating that this car is fitted with the legendary 1,600 cc flat-4 engine.

The interior of the car is finished in a combination of tan and black, with tan vinyl covering the seats and door cards. From the factory, this car would have come with a dashboard painted to match the body color, but at some point, it was changed to satin black on this car. Although the Porsche purists may not be quite so enthusiastic about this change, in truth it helps cut down on glare when driving with the top down and is a nice addition that was later adopted by most cars. The original large plastic steering wheel has been swapped out for a smaller wood and metal Moto-Lita 3-spoke wheel, which feels great in the hands and makes ingress and egress far easier. An era-appropriate Blaupunkt radio sits just above the shifter, and is a refreshing sight to see since many cars from this era have been saddled with far less attractive modern head units in recent years.

Sitting out back is the 1,600cc air-cooled flat 4, which is rated from the factory for 60 horsepower. Although this doesn’t sound like much in modern times, the 356 B Cabriolet reportedly weighs just under 900 kg, which means that 60 horsepower is plenty to have a good time. This engine is paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox, which adds to the engaging driving experience. One of the things that keeps interest in the 356 high after all these years is that for a car as old as they are, the driving experience is actually quite modern feeling. Whereas many sports cars from the 1950s have unpleasantly heavy controls and ponderous handling, the 356 feels light and nimble, and the inputs are all excellently weighted.

With summer approaching, it is hard to imagine a car better suited to top-down motoring than this 356 BT5 Cabriolet. With its fantastic driver-quality condition throughout, you won’t have to worry about your freshly restored showpiece being damaged and instead, you can focus on what the car is truly built for- enjoying the open road.

The Porsche 356 is the first series production car from the brand and is widely regarded as one of the most significant vehicles of all time. From its debut in 1948, the 356 evolved through 4 “generations”, gaining more power, greater comfort, and more advanced technology while retaining the same general shape as the original. The 356 B debuted in 1960 and ran almost to the end of 356 production in 1963- although largely similar to the 356 A that came before it, the 356 B gained new bumpers, raised headlights, and larger chrome trim as the hood opener. During 356 B production, the first series was known as the “T5” which consisted of the above changes, while in 1962, the “T6” body became the norm which in many ways was the car that bridged the gap between the 356 and 911 to come just a few years later.