Chassis: 102648
Engine: 68363
Salesroom Addendum
Please note that a new title has recently been processed and should be available shortly following the auction.
An Exceptional 356 A Coupe in Unrestored Condition
Delivered New via Raffay & Co. of Hamburg and Finished in Ivory over Green Leather
Magnificently Preserved with Original Paint and Leather Upholstery
Retains Matching-Numbers Engine and Transaxle per Copy of Porsche Kardex
Displayed Just 31,174 Miles at the Time of Cataloguing
Offered with Original Tool Kit, Warranty Book, Driver’s and Workshop Manuals
1,582 CC Type 616/1 Flat 4-Cylinder Engine
Twin Zenith 32 NDIX Carburetors
60 BHP at 4,500 RPM
4-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Fully Independent Torsion-Bar Suspension with Shock Absorbers
Bearing chassis 102648, this 1958 Porsche 356 A Coupe is among the finest examples to be found anywhere, having been carefully preserved over the past 66 years in its wonderfully original, unrestored condition.
As recorded in its accompanying factory warranty book, this 356 A’s first owner was Ernst Schmid, a US resident who purchased it new via Porsche dealer Raffay & Co. in Hamburg, Germany. The original January 1958-dated delivery sheet and a copy of the Porsche Kardex confirm that this car was originally finished in Elfenbein (Ivory, code 5704) over green leather upholstery, a striking and rarely seen color combination. A short list of original options and accessories at the time of delivery included whitewall tires, green Coco Mats, sun visor with makeup mirror, and a touch-up pen.
The Porsche’s second owner is reported to have been the former principal of Foreign Cars of Hunterdon in Lebanon, New Jersey, and it is said that he kept his prized A Coupe as a display on the dealership’s showroom floor for many years. The 356 A subsequently passed through one other New Jersey-based Porsche collector before being acquired by the current owner, an enthusiast with a passion for unrestored German sports cars.
Today, the Porsche remains in marvelously original, unrestored condition, the Reutter bodywork still wearing its original ivory paint finish, beautifully patinated green leather upholstery, and oatmeal-colored square-weave carpeting. The car’s original data tags are still intact and both the hood and deck lid are properly stamped with the last digits of the chassis number. The type 616/1 1600 cc engine is the matching-numbers unit, as is the transaxle, and even the original date-coded wheels remain with the car. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed 31,174 miles – a figure believed to represent the car’s total mileage from new.
The 356 A brims with charming, seldom-seen original details, while its period license plate, Foreign Cars of Hunterdon frame, and 1970 registration sticker all attest to its long-term New Jersey provenance. Contained in the red paper Porsche envelope is the original stamped warranty book, the Reutter body maintenance booklet, sales literature, and delivery sheet – all dating from Mr. Schmid’s initial purchase back in January 1958. A proper tool kit, jack, spare, driver’s manual, and bound 356 A workshop manual all accompany the sale.
Sure to impress even the most discerning collector, this 1958 356 A Coupe is a marvelous 1950s time capsule, and one of the most captivating unrestored Porsches that we at Gooding & Company have ever seen.
Ernst Schmid, US (acquired new via Raffay & Co. in 1958)Private Collection, Lebanon, New Jersey (acquired from the above)
Johann Ziereis, Little York, New Jersey (acquired from the above)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)
