The paintwork shows beautifully with very good gaps and panel fit. The brightwork, aluminum trim, glass, and black German canvas soft top are all in great overall condition. The upholstery is finished in Black leatherette with leather front seats, Roadster non-reclining seat brackets, charcoal German square weave carpets, Roadster door panels with side pockets, and a driver-side sun visor. The painted dash features a VDM steering wheel, detailed VDO instrumentation, and a gold Porsche script. The undercarriage is incredibly straight with no signs of rust. The 4 ½” x 15” KPZ wheels are painted silver with Super hubcaps and fitted to Sprint Classic Vredestein 165 HR15 tires.
Mechanically powered by its matching 1600cc Super-90 flat-four engine (Type 616/7) which runs phenomenally paired to a 4-speed manual transmission (Type 741/2) with a four-wheel hydraulic drum braking system. Complete with an original owner’s manual, an annex to driver’s manual with engine type 1600 Super-90, Porsche Kardex, boot cover, spare tire, jack, and tool kit. A unique opportunity to acquire a rare Super-90 Drauz Roadster finished in its original color combination with the most powerful pushrod Super-90 engine.
Specification
• 90 horsepower
• 1,582cc air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine
• Dual Solex P40 carburetors
• Four-speed manual 741 transmission
• Independent front suspension with laminated torsion bars
• Parallel trailing arms
• Tubular shock absorbers
• Independent rear swing axles with torsion bars
• Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
• Wheelbase: 82.7 in
History
The 356 Speedster was one of Porsche’s most successful models. Its lightweight, superior balance, and racy looks were all placed within reach of aspiring Porsche owners, thanks to its relatively low price. The price, however, also reflected the car’s spartan passenger accommodations—sporty seats, a small top, side curtains, and a low windshield all formed part of this car’s purpose-built sporting pretensions.
Porsche addressed these deficiencies in the summer of 1958 with the Convertible D, with the “D” denoting the car’s builder, Drauz. It was, essentially, a second-generation but more-comfortable Speedster, and it was, in turn, succeeded for 1960 and 1961 by the 356B Roadster, in T-5 and T-6 bodies, respectively. The Roadster’s roof and windshield were both higher than those of the Speedster, adding 3½ inches of headroom and providing a quantum leap in terms of comfort and visibility with the top-up. Roll-up windows replaced the Speedster’s basic side curtains. Additional changes included more complete interior trim and better seats, similar to those offered in the 356 Coupe.