Porsche 356 A (T2) LHD coupe by Reutter 1959

A 1959 US supplied 356 A (T2) LHD coupe.

Offered for sale via the Williams Crawford Brokerage Service.

Please note: All information, text and images supplied by the vendor.

A sensitively restored example of what is often regarded as the most attractive form of the 356 model manufactured in Zuffenhausen.

Set up well and running superbly, the car is now finished in Steingrau (Stone grey) paint, a Porsche special order colour of the period. The car is a highly enjoyable, reliable and eye-catching form of transport, which has taken the owner all over the UK and abroad.

There is a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity in the papers, confirming that the car was originally manufactured in Porsche exterior paint colour 5702 / Ruby Red and came with sealed beam headlights, USA bumpers, Dunlop tires and Boge shock absorbers as optional equipment. Engine number was 73194 616/1 and transmission number 26349.

The car retains its original engine, while at some point while in America the transmission has been replaced.

A letter form Porsche Club Great Britain dated 21st September 2009, confirms that the car was complete on the production line in Stuttgart between August 1958 and June 1959, the July month being set aside by the factory to update the production line for the next model year.

The car was originally imported from Stuttgart to Houston, Texas by then Porsche dealership Norman Scott Inc.

The accompanying paperwork includes the original Porsche driver’s manual, showing clear signs of use but still in excellent and complete condition after over 60 years. Also, the original Porsche Service Book showing that the car was sold to its first owner on 9th April 1959. There is also a Maintenance Instructions for Porsche Bodies booklet.

As with many US Porsche 356s, the car history is complex. At some point the car moves 600 miles west to Presidio County, Texas and the town of Marfa. Acquired by art gallery owner, a handwritten, original pre-purchase inspection report from buyer’s mechanic is included in the car’s document file.

The current owner was on holiday in Marfa, West Texas and saw the car parked in the street. The car was in original condition with a very heavy patina from the many years over which it had clearly been driven. The body colour had been changed from Ruby Red to white. The internal colour was tan, although the surface condition of the upholstery had much deteriorated under the fierce sun.

The car was purchased by the current owner on 25th September 2009 and imported back to the UK on a container ship.

Arriving on Texas ‘white’ plates, the car was MOT’d and registered in the UK at Boreham Wood Test Centre on 1st October 2010 with new age-related registration number of 716 XUY.

Restoration was given to marque specialist Bill Russell and the restoration work was carried out in three phases.

The brief for the restoration was to make the car highly serviceable and reliable and all the while not allowing over-restoration, that is to keep the style and patinas where possible of the car’s interesting American history. Thus, the appropriate Texan licence stickers have been retained on the windshield. Equally the original ivory dashboard knobs have been retained along with the original ‘transistor’ radio by the American Motorola company. (The Motorola radio is emblazoned with the sign ‘Transistor’ however, from the time this unit takes to ‘start up’ it clearly also includes the old valve technology. Full solid-state all-transistor car radios did not start until 1963 and so the radio on this car was clearly using early marketing of the transistor technology some time before it was comprehensively implemented.)

Work has also been undertaken by Roger Bray Restorations in Devon and PRS Services in Billericay, both being long-standing
specialists in the Porsche 356 model.

A comprehensive list of works was carried out during the restoration, all of which is itemised in the car’s file. An abbreviated list of work is set out below.

First phase work:

• New battery box
• New floor panels both sides
• New rocker covers, heater tubes and jacking points. New flapper boxes.
• All associated metalwork to the above.
• Rebuild braking system all round including master cylinders, all new brake lines and hoses. Relined brake pads.
• New headlights, rear light backs and new shine-up rear number pate light.
• Overhaul motor and transmission.
• Strip / repair fuel petcock.
• Check all electrics.
• New Pirelli tyres on existing chrome ‘Brazilian’ wheels.
• Full servicing plugs etc and carburettor overhaul.
• New internal headlining.
• New dashboard and cover.
• New external radio aerial.

Second phase work:

• Rebuild engine and transmission.
• Engine and transmission strip down, inspection and reassembly. New piston rings, valves, valve guides, push rods installed.

Third phase work:

• New lower door skins
• Rebuild doors including window frames.
• Repair rear front wings
• Repair and lead top of front wings by scuttle.
• Replace inner rear wings.
• Repair and make good various holes and imperfections.
• Repair bonnet hinges.
• Replacement dynamo / generator.
• Replace inner front wheel arches.
• Remove / refurbish / repaint fuel tank.
• Repair front and rear bumpers.
• Repair front seat frames. Reupholster seats using full new cover kit from Mercantile International.
• New door linings and rear internal quarter linings.
• Sound deadening kit on floor panels and fire wall.
• New Porsche square weave carpet kit.
• Install new pattern radio speaker units and wire up to Motorola radio unit.
• New rubber seals all round.
• Rechroming (by London Chroming) as required.
• Fit GT Werks mirror.
• Fit Sebring exhaust. (Now swapped for a Bursch Twin Pipe Sports exhaust).
• New Technomagnesio wheels
• Vredstien Classic tyres all round.
• Remove all windows, rub down to bare metal and full respray with only lead seam filler in Steingrau colour.

Extras included in the work:

• Colour-coded racing mirror by GT Werks.
• Three-spoke Durrington steering wheel.
• Stainless steel Sebring exhaust by Karman Konnection. (Now replaced by new twin pipe Bursch Sports exhaust box).

Recent work:

• Dynamo rebuild refit.
• Fit replacement voltage regulator
• Service

The car has no rust and is accompanied by a very well documented history file.

716 XUY was taken to The Laon Historique in northern France, where it was runner up in the Concours D’Elegance.

The car was invited to be displayed on the circuit grid at Goodwood in August 2019, where in an online public vote, the car was voted second favourite from the entire meeting.

In 2018, the car was invited to be displayed by Jeff Zwart at the first Californian Lufgekhult meeting in GB, at Bicester Heritage and features in the Lufgekhult video of the meeting.

716 XUY is featured in the Luftghekult 2 coffee table book.