Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500

This excerpt from the Porsche 356 brochure, dated 1953, regarding the synchronized transmission is interesting: “Porsche’s servo-synchronization has set a new standard in transmission design: shifting is quicker and easier than ever before. Even first gear is synchronized and is a true driving gear. It is appreciated in city traffic as well as on the hairpin bends of mountain passes. Playing with the gears and fully exploiting the acceleration and power of the Porsche engine becomes a source of pure pleasure. Even drivers accustomed to automatic transmissions rediscover the pleasure of shifting gears and taming the engine revs with this transmission.”
After the first examples, sold mainly in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, the small Porsche made its appearance among the giant American cars thanks to Max Hoffmann, a famous New York dealer, who was very attentive to what was being produced in the Old World and to the latest innovations that could potentially interest the American public: it was Hoffmann who purchased several 356s in 1951, well-finished, in bright colors, with meticulously designed trim; These Porsches were chosen by gentleman drivers who, with their small German coupés, weren’t afraid to challenge the mighty Americans, counting on their lightness, handling, reliability, and excellent power-to-weight ratio. At the same time, a few convertibles also graced Hoffmann’s windows, appealing to sports drivers and elegantly posh for the ladies. The 1100 and 1300 displacements, however, were truly too small for the needs of the stars and stripes, but even in Europe the tune was the same: the experience quickly gained on the racetrack (100 starts and 75 finishes in 1952 according to official data) allowed Porsche engineers to develop the 1500 engine with 55/60 and 70 horsepower, ideal for highways as well as racetracks.
Let’s talk about this 356 Cabriolet 1500: it was produced on February 29, 1952 in Zuffenhausen, destined to cross the ocean to Max Hoffmann’s showroom in New York, painted a vibrant strawberry red with a beige hood and leather interior of the same color. The only optional: a Telefunken radio. The engine was the 60-horsepower 1500, the gearbox was already synchronized (the aforementioned Porsche patent), and we find the tachometer which – theoretically – should have been an optional addition over time. As was emphasized at the time, it is interesting that the engine was assembled from A to Z by the same worker (entirely by hand, of course), underscoring an almost tailored construction quality that in the 1950s was slowly being lost even in sports cars that were increasingly produced on assembly lines. The 1500cc Type 527 engine, produced for model year ’52, bears the original production number, with Zenith 40 PBIC carburetors, evidently restored and properly tuned.
We know little about the car’s first 30 years in America, but a Pennsylvania state registration document dated 1984 survives, registered to Terry Lee Shuler, author of books on the VW Beetle and passionate about its connection to the Porsche 356, the two most important projects of the Porsche family.
In August 1988, the car arrived in Italy in good overall condition: it was not a wreck, it was in good working order, and shortly thereafter, it was sold by a well-known 356 dealer to the current owner, who registered it about 30 years ago. In the 1990s, after an initial period of use, the bodywork underwent a complete restoration, eliminating the unprofessional repairs found under the paint. The paint was no longer the original 524 strawberry red, but, likely due to the difficulty in obtaining the formulas of the time and the exact specifications, was a darker red, similar to the 1953 Pasha red (523).
This is one of the so-called “Interim” models, which led the increasingly standardized production towards the first “pre-A” models of 1953. Among its peculiarities are the windshield still divided into two pieces, the bumpers slightly detached from the body, but still an integral part of the bodywork, a pillarless rearview mirror, a single plastic sun visor, external bumper profiles with pointed tips, and 16″ wheels, now perforated.
About ten years ago, the interior and hood were redone by the expert Ferraresi brothers, and about 200 kilometers ago, the mechanics were completely overhauled by the Donadel workshop, a well-known name among Porsche 356 enthusiasts. Photos and invoices of the work carried out are present.
It would be extremely difficult to restore a 1952 356 today, both due to the difficulty in sourcing specific details and the labor costs, which require many more hours than a more common 356 like the Speedster. For a collector who prefers a fully equipped 356 Cabriolet over a more basic Speedster, this example represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the quality of the restoration, its condition, and its pleasure of use.
Quoting a brochure from the period, “Its performance and handling are well above average, as are its comfort and long-distance capability. Driving a Porsche means experiencing the driving experience in its purest form!”​
Kardex, italian registration and ASI (Automotori Club Storico Italiano) homologation; the car can be inspected in Bologna.