1960 Porsche 356 B Roadster
- A great example of Porsche’s beautiful 356
- Known to us for many years
- Matching numbers
- Extensive history, including Certificate of Authenticity
| YEAR | 1960 |
| MAKE | Porsche |
| PRICE | £250,000 |
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
This superbly presented Porsche 356 B Roadster was in the ownership of the same family for more than 50 years, and was meticulously cared for during that period – as shown by the wealth of invoices going all the way back to the 1960s.
Completed on 21 November 1960, chassis number 88760 was fitted with the 1600cc flat-four engine (number 604385) and transmission number 41514. Optional extras included reclining seats, an ashtray and Continental tyres, while the original paint scheme was Ivory bodywork with red leatherette interior.
The 356 has spent much of its life in California, and was supplied new to a Mr R Fellows by Circle Motors Inc in Long Beach. It’s thought to have stayed in California until being acquired in 1967 by James Babcock, who was serving in the US Navy and is listed as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the ‘Class of 1968’ yearbook for the USS Walke.
Babcock subsequently moved up the Californian coast to Goleta, then to Colorado Springs and Palo Alto, always taking his beloved Porsche 356 with him. In 1972, he had it resprayed silver and the interior reupholstered black – the combination that it retains to this day. Everything he did to the car during his long ownership can be traced in the extensive paperwork, and when the time came to part with it in 2013, it stayed in the family because it passed to Babcock’s nephew.
He cherished it just as much as his uncle had done, and yet more invoices are testament to the care it’s received over the past few years.
Having been imported to the UK, this immaculate Porsche 356B Roadster is now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub. It retains matching-numbers status and still has its original tool kit and jack, and also included in the paperwork is a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity plus the Driver’s Manual.
With its blend of timeless design and robust Porsche engineering – plus a superb history with long-term family ownership – this 356 B Roadster offers a stylish way in which to enjoy classic summer motoring.
MODEL HISTORY
Designed by Ferry Porsche – son of company founder Ferdinand – the 356 was launched in 1948 and was the car that laid the foundation for Porsche’s enduring success.
At that time, the company was still based in the Austrian town of Gmünd, but by 1950 it had moved back to Germany and the Stuttgart borough of Zuffenhausen, while steel bodywork replaced the aluminium that had been used on the earliest 356s. Porsche’s reputation grew rapidly thereafter, thanks largely to its competition success – a 356 won its class at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, an event with which Porsche would become synonymous, and it became a popular choice for young racers in the all-important North American market.
The basic outline of the 356 remained intact throughout its production run, but there were numerous updates along the way. The capacity of the rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-four engine was originally 1100cc, but 1300cc and 1500cc variants were soon added. In 1955, the 356 A was introduced with its updated T1 body, and this model also gained the option of a 1600cc engine – plus the high-performance four-cam Carrera unit.
The 356 B was introduced in 1960 with a new T5 body style. The 1600cc engine was available across all body styles – Coupé, Cabriolet and Roadster – and with various power outputs. The 356 B gained the latest T6 body in 1962, and the final incarnation of this famous model was the 1964 356 C, which featured disc brakes all round and could be specified in 2-litre Carrera 2 form.
In that same year, Porsche introduced the six-cylinder 911 and production of the 356 came to an end in 1965. By then, its competition success, style and sheer dependability had set a template that Porsche continues to follow 60 years later.