1962 Porsche 356B Super 90 Coupé

Registration no. 791 XUY Chassis no. 120944

Footnotes

One of the all-time great sports cars, the 356 was the work of Ferry Porsche, who had been inspired by the FIAT-based Cisitalias of Piero Dusio. Ferry's 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father, and like the immortal 'Beetle' employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and all-independent torsion bar suspension. Introduced in 1948, the Porsche 356 set a new standard for small sports cars and proved adaptable to all forms of motor sport including circuit racing and rallying. In 1951 a works car finished first in the 1,100cc class at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race, thus beginning the marque's long and illustrious association with La Sarthe.

The first phase of development saw the 356's engine grow to 1.3 and then to 1.5 litres; the original split windscreen replaced by a one-piece; and a Porsche synchromesh gearbox adopted. 1955 marked the arrival of the restyled 356A, the newcomer being readily distinguished by its curved windscreen and 15" - down from 16" - wheels. Numerous further styling revisions differentiated the 356B of 1959 from its immediate predecessor while the engine - now standardised at 1,600cc - was available in three different stages of tune, the most powerful - apart from the four-cam Carrera - being the 90bhp unit of the Super 90.

Although Porsche did not make a serious works effort in international rallying until the arrival of the 911, the 356 in private hands proved very competitive, being strongly constructed, light in weight and adequately powerful, especially in four-cam Carrera form. Early successes included private entrants Helmut Polensky and Walter Schluter's victory in the 1952 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally and the same duo's European Touring Championship the following year. And as late as 1961 the 356 proved good enough to bring works-assisted privateer Hans Walter the European Rally Championship. Today these versatile Porsche GTs are among the most competitive cars in their class in historic circuit racing and rallying, and are eminently suitable for the gentler touring events on public roads.

The 356B represents significant advances in driveability and comfort over earlier 356 models, and is a pleasingly quick way to enjoy the traditional Porsche values of quality, reliability and mechanical robustness.

A rare, twin-grille, sunroof-equipped model, this Porsche 356B Super 90 was supplied new via agents Kitner of Lubeck, Germany and first registered in August 1962. The car then travelled to the USA, with the last known keeper there being a New York resident who acquired it in 1985. In 1999 a deal was brokered in New York and the car returned to Europe where it was extensively restored and sold in 2002 to a Mr Kechierski of Warsaw. Changing hands once more, it was sold to the UK in 2011. The car was then serviced by Chris Turner in London before being acquired for his small private collection by the current owner in 2013. Since then the Porsche has been serviced and maintained regardless of cost by a marque specialist, with bills on file totalling over £15,000. Said to perform beautifully, the engine is from a 1969 Porsche 912, while the sensible addition of front disk brakes makes this car even more enjoyable to drive. Serviced in October 2018 by renowned classic Porsche specialist Roger Bray, this desirable European-delivered 356B is ideal for continental touring and a wide range of international events.