Final evolution of the 356 with the 75 hp engine
Extensively restored to a high standard
Beautiful original colour combination
Accompanied by its Porsche birth certificate and Reutter certificate
When Porsche introduced the 356 B in 1959, the little sports car had long since become more than just an attractive curiosity from Stuttgart. The 356 had made a name for itself both on the road and in competition. There was therefore little reason for grand experiments. Instead, Porsche did what it would later perfect: change almost everything a little while somehow making the result look much the same as before.
Even so, the body style known internally as the T5 differed noticeably from the 356 A. The bumpers moved upwards, as did the headlights, the front end became more substantial and the front wings stood higher. The bonnet handles and sidelights changed as well. The 356 had grown up without losing its characteristic shape.
Beneath the skin, the familiar formula remained: an air-cooled flat-four engine in the rear, independent suspension and a choice of different power outputs. From the comparatively mild 60 hp 1600 to the Super 90, the B could be specified according to budget and temperament. Those who were rather more serious about the matter could even have a Carrera, complete with four overhead camshafts and considerably greater mechanical ambition.
For the 1962 model year came the next evolutionary step. With the T6, it was everyday usability that improved most. The most obvious feature was the pair of cooling grilles on the engine lid, accompanied by a significantly larger rear window. At the front, the fuel filler moved beneath its own flap in the right-hand wing, finally putting an end to the awkward business of refuelling beneath an open luggage-compartment lid. The luggage space benefited from the changes as well.
The T6 was therefore less a revolution than a careful process of refinement. And therein lay the strength of the 356 B: Porsche did not constantly reinvent its successful sports car. It simply made it a little better each time.
This Porsche 356 B T6 Coupé was delivered in October 1961 through Porsche Cars Southwest in San Antonio, Texas. From the factory, it was fitted with the Type 616/12 1600 S engine, while the exterior was finished in Ruby Red 6262 B with black leatherette inside. A combination as classic as it is understated, and one confirmed by a Porsche certificate issued in 2015.
From Texas, the Porsche later made its way to New Mexico, where it was last registered in the United States. Eventually, it exchanged the American Southwest for Austria. Once here, however, matters went considerably further than a quick mechanical once-over: the Coupé underwent a complete restoration. The extensive documentation accompanying the work provides a detailed record of this second chapter in the car’s life.
In 2024, the 356 received its Austrian individual type approval and was officially allowed to return to where a Porsche belongs: the road.
That its owner is nevertheless parting with it comes down to a very simple reason: time – or rather, the lack of it to drive the Porsche as a Porsche deserves to be driven. After such an extensive restoration, standing still is a rather unsatisfying form of preservation. After all, the 356 was continually improved over the decades so that it could be driven better – not so that it could stand around better.