One to Buy: Meissen Blue 1958 Porsche 356 A 1600 Convertible D
/
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1954, the Speedster was conceived as a lightweight, back-to-basics iteration of the 356 that would be of particular interest to those customers that wanted to go racing.
However, four years on, even production-based competition cars were becoming increasingly specialised and Porsche decided to drop the Speedster in favour of a slightly more refined machine along a similar Roadster-esque theme.
The resultant 356 Convertible D that arrived in August 1958 bore more than just a pasisng resemblance to the outgoing Speedster, but offered a slightly taller windscreen, wind-up windows, a proper folding canvas roof and standard seats instead of buckets.
Just 1131 examples of the Convertible D were built on the 356 A platform between 1958 and ‘59, a really handsome example of which is currently on offer at the European Collectibles showroom in Costa Mesa, California.
Completed on October 31st 1958, chassis 85670 was configured with the standard 60bhp 1600cc engine and just about our favourite colour scheme for a 356 A: Meissen Blue with Red leather upholstery. The only optional equipment fitted was a set of sealed-beam headlights.
In recent times, chassis 85670, which importantly retains its matching numbers Type 616/1 engine, has been the recipient of much restoration work to include an undercarriage detail and engine tune up by the experts at European Collectibles.
