1959 Porsche 356 A Coupe

In March 1959, Joseph Flynn of Beverly Hills, California, ordered a Porsche 356 A Coupe through German distributor Otto Glöckler. He specified the car in Meissen Blue with red upholstery, and it cost him $2,823.10. After taking delivery in Frankfurt, Mr. Flynn drove his new Porsche through Europe and, while touring Germany, met his future wife Erika. In April, Mr. Flynn shipped the Porsche from La Havre to Los Angeles and, over the next few years, it served as his primary transportation.

In 1967, Joseph and Erika moved to Pacific Palisades, California, and continued to enjoy the Porsche, which they named Betsy, on weekend runs along Pacific Coast Highway. In the early 1970s, the car was parked in the family garage and never driven again, though it was registered through 1993. Joseph Flynn passed away in 1999, and the beloved Porsche was still a fixture in the garage when Erika passed away in 2014.

Gooding & Company is honored to present this unrestored black-plate 356 A Coupe on behalf of the family of its original owner. Offered with its original Bill of Sale, shipping documents, service and registration records, as well as the German tourist license plate used during Mr. Flynn’s European tour in spring 1959, this one-owner 356 is a wonderfully original time capsule sure to pique the interest of Porsche enthusiasts the world over.