1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Convertible D
Registration no. 263 UYE
Chassis no. 85920
Engine no. 83213

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 then (from 1955) in its original factory at Zuffenhausen.

The work of Ferry Porsche, the 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father, and like the immortal 'Beetle' employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and all-independent torsion bar suspension. Regularly revised and updated, Porsche's landmark sports car would remain in production well into the 911 era, the final examples being built in 1965.

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. With its sales declining, 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, the latter replacing the Speedster's side screens. Overall, the new car was 3½ inches taller. All in all, the 356A Convertible D was a somewhat more practical car than the Speedster, boasting a more protective windscreen, proper side windows and more comfortable seats while retaining the original's beautiful body lines and downward sloping waistline beloved of Type 356 enthusiasts.

With its preferred coachbuilder Reutter struggling to keep up with the ever increasing demand, Porsche sub-contracted cabriolet body construction to a number of different coachbuilders, Convertible D production being undertaken by Drauz of Heilbronn, hence the 'D' suffix. When the restyled Porsche 356B arrived in September 1959, convertible production transferred to d'Ieteren of Brussels. The 356A Convertible D model is one the rarest of Porsche 356 models, with only 1,331 made between August 1958 and September 1959. It is ironic that those 356 models that were the least expensive 'back in the day' - the Roadster, Speedster and Convertible D - are now some of the most costly.

A matching numbers example, this very rare and highly sought-after Porsche 356 Convertible D has just been through Border Reivers' workshop for some fine detailing. The car comes with invoices relating to the aforementioned work; a history file dating back to 1965 containing detailed service records from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s; a V5 registration document; and Porsche Cars GB Ltd Certificate of Authenticity (which still refers to it as a Speedster). This stunning Porsche is in excellent all round condition.