Porsche 356 Pre-A Coupe, 1953
Porsche 356 I
Porsche 356 I•
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Chassis No.: 50451
- Exterior: Silver
- Interior: Blue/gray
- Body: Coupe
- Rare Reutter-built Pre-A example
- Early production car
- Restored in 1990s
- Original interior
- Garage kept for approximately 25 years
- Matching numbers 1500cc engine rebuilt with mostly original parts
- 150 miles on recent engine rebuild
- Dual carburetors
- Dual exhaust
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Silver paint recently buffed and polished
- Chrome bumpers with bumper guards
- 16 inch wheels with chrome caps
- Porsche Certificate of Authenticity
This 1953 Porsche 356 coupe is a rare pre-A example, one of the original Reutter-built cars that helped launch Porsche to viability and figured heavily in building the 356 line’s sporting reputation. Porsche established its first postwar manufacturing facility in Gmund, Austria, but after the first 50 cars, the budding auto manufacturer realized the necessity of moving back to Germany—both to re-establish its presence there and to raise more capital for expansion. With Porsche’s original Zuffenhausen facility still under the control of occupying U.S. forces, in 1949 the company turned to Karosseriesfabrik Reutter & Co. of Stuttgart.
Established in 1906, Reutter enjoyed a long association with Porsche that began in 1932 with the prewar Volkswagens and would continue until Porsche acquired it outright in 1963. The relationship would prove crucial to Porsche’s success. Reutter not only discounted its coach-building services at the beginning of 356 production; it also provided Porsche with more than 5,000 square feet of shop space to help jump start production and therefore badly needed cash flow. By then, the 356 design had been finalized by longtime Porsche associate and designer Erwin Komenda, whose design genius can be credited with establishing the Porsche “look” that still thrives today.
In this Reutter-built 1953 356 coupe are the trademark qualities that set the original 356 apart from practically any other car in the world at that time, beginning with the pure, uncluttered steel unibody envelope finished in classic Silver Grey metallic paint with matching 16-inch wheels and adorned with the distinctive early chromed center caps. Beautifully preserved since a restoration completed in the 1990s, the car retains its original blue and gray interior and shows off recently buffed and polished paint, here accented with chromed bumpers with bumper guards. The car has been garage kept for 25 years.
Its matching-numbers 1,500 CC flat-4 engine was recently rebuilt with mostly original parts. Fitted with dual carburetors and dual exhaust, it is mated to Porsche’s 4-speed manual gearbox. This sensational Reutter-built early 356 is offered with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/256477/1953-porsche-356-pre-a-coupe/
