1953 Porsche 356 1500 Super Cabriolet

Nowhere is Porsche’s form-follows-function ethos more evident than in the brilliant simplicity of its earliest offerings. The “Pre-A” models of the early 1950s are an especially pure representation of Porsche’s original sports car concept: a lightweight, aerodynamic body powered by a small but potent engine, resulting in surprising performance and a remarkable driving experience.

Porsche produced just 394 Cabriolets for 1953, and most were equipped with the standard Type 546 engine. Fewer than an estimated 150 Cabriolets were equipped with the high-performance Type 528 1500 Super engine, as this outstanding example is. Significantly, the Type 528 is considered Porsche’s first true racing engine. In 1953, a Type 528 powered a 550 to its first win in the Eifel races at Nürburgring.

According to a 1965 registration card on file, Michael J. Collins of Denver sold this lovely 356 to the current owner 53 years ago. The current owner drove it for a short while and then put it in storage, where it remained until 2013. That’s when a team of experts, including 356 authority Tom Scott, embarked on an exacting photo-documented restoration. According to the consignor, chassis 60036 retains almost all of its original components, and throughout the four-year restoration, every effort was made to use them. These included knobs, gauges, steering and suspension components, body panels, top frame, washer bottle and wiper system, dated wheels, and many unique parts that are unavailable today.