This early 356A, the first of the new design for 1956, has a 1600cc engine, a 4-speed transmission, and four wheel drum brakes. There are some who would call this car a really expensive Volkswagen, but they just don't get it. Enthusiasm for these early Porsches is something you either have, or you don't. It's difficult to explain, but there is something about a 356 and the way it drives that you feel more at one with the car and the steering wheel and the road. It's a visceral and communicative drive that you just have to experience to understand. Thankfully, Matt Farah can explain some of that experience in the video below.
Having driven a number of 356s in our day, we would be ecstatic to get behind the wheel of this blue beauty. The way the engine brumbles away behind the driver and the steering is light but communicative, the way the fenders hump upward to frame the peripheral of your view out the windshield, the rear-biased weight balance pulling your steering angle away as the corner tightens, it's all so intrinsically 356. We can feel ourselves behind the wheel of this car throughout the video. When properly pushed, a 356 fights well above its weight class, and becomes one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. When driven at five tenths, the car is a comfortable and relaxed cruiser.
This family purchased this car back in 1980 and have kept it quite nice in all that time. A sunroof coupe is quite a rarity, and we're quite glad that this one has been kept up so well. We're also glad that they're not afraid to drive it, occasionally taking the car for a road trip or two. Get out there and drive your classics today!