One to Buy: Unrestored 9000 mile 1961 Porsche 356 B Super Cabriolet
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A little over ten years after the 356 had made its salon debut, Porsche introduced arguably the most heavily revised iteration yet: the 356 B.
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1959, the 356 B featured a substantially modified bodyshell with re-profiled fenders, flatter headlights mounted higher up than before, domed indicators with inboard slatted horn grilles, bigger bumpers, a more heavily contoured front lid, a revised front apron with brake cooling ducts and slimline trim along each sill.
Customers could order a 356 B with either a Coupe, Cabriolet or Roadster body and a 60bhp ‘normal’, 75bhp ‘Super’ or 90bhp ‘Super 90’ version of the familiar air-cooled 1.6-litre Flat 4 engine.
Today, even the youngest 356 B is over 60 years old which makes finding an unrestored example extremely difficult. However, that is precisely what will be going under the hammer at Mecum’s Fort Worth sale in Dallas on November 1st.
Chassis 155159 was ordered from the Vern Hagestad Motor Company in Denver, Colorado, by William Malencik who configured his brand new car in Ivory with Red upholstery and the 75bhp Super engine.
Mr Malencik also went for a long list of optional extras to include a Black hardtop, chrome wheels with Dunlop whitewall tyres, a tonneau cover for the Cabriolet roof, a green-tinted windshield, a Becker Mexico AM / FM radio with two loudspeakers and antenna and a Talbot exterior mirror.
Remarkably, William Malencik retained chassis until 2024, by which time the car had covered a little over 9000 miles. Incredibly well preserved throughout its life, chassis 155159 represents an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire a true reference example of Porsche’s much-loved 356.
