1957 Porsche 356A T1 1600 Cabriolet

• Delivered new to the USA
• Exported to the Netherlands in 1998
• Restored between 1998 and 2000
• Upgraded 1,800cc engine

Although Ferdinand Porsche had established his automotive design consultancy in the early 1930s, his name would not appear on a car until 1949. When it did, it graced one of the all-time great sports cars: the Porsche 356. Having commenced manufacture with a short run of aluminium-bodied cars built at Gmünd, Porsche began volume production of the steel-bodied 356 coupé at its old base in Stuttgart, at first in premises shared with coachbuilders Reutter and from 1955 in its original factory at Zuffenhausen. The work of Ferry Porsche, the 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father. Like the immortal 'Beetle', the 356 employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and torsion bar all-independent suspension, yet somehow contrived to offer level of performance that belied the basic layout's humble origins.

In 1951 an aluminium-bodied works car finished first in the 1,100cc class at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race and 20th overall, thus beginning the marque's long and illustrious association with the Circuit de la Sarthe. Constant development saw the 356's engine progressively enlarged, with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre units first becoming available in 1951. In 1952 a Porsche synchromesh gearbox was adopted and the original split windscreen replaced by a one-piece; the latter was still V-shaped, gaining the sobriquet Knickscheibe (bent window) as a result. 1955 marked the arrival of the revised 356A, the newcomer being readily distinguished by its curved windscreen and 15" - down from 16" - wheels.

Cabriolets had been manufactured right from the start of 356 production, but the first open Porsche to make a significant impact was the Speedster, introduced in 1954 following the successful reception in the USA of a batch of 15 special roadsters. The Speedster was dropped in 1958 and replaced by the more civilised Convertible D, which differed principally by virtue of its larger windscreen and winding side windows. Porsche sub-contracted cabriolet body construction to a number of different coachbuilders, this example being the work of its long-established collaborators, Karrosserie Reutter.

Its accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity reveals that this car was despatched new to Max Hoffman's renowned dealership in New York, USA finished in Acqua Marine blue and equipped with USA bumpers and sealed beam headlights. It is a late 1957 T1 Cabriolet, one of the relatively small (100-120) number of open 356A 1600 models produced during this last phase of T1 production.

Exported to the Netherlands in 1998, the Porsche subsequently underwent a two-year restoration (1998-2000). Acquired by the present owner in 2017, it has since been fitted with a sports exhaust system, sports seats and a wood-rim steering wheel, and it should be noted that during the restoration the non-matching engine was upgraded to 1,800cc to deliver substantially more power (see invoice for €23,000-plus on file). The original exhaust, seats and steering wheel are included in the sale.

With its characteristic Reutter coachwork and timeless open-top styling, this beautiful 356A Cabriolet represents one of the most elegant expressions of Porsche's first-generation sports car.