Among the final examples of the legendary Porsche 356, chassis 131784 was completed by Zuffenhausen on 30 March 1965 and destined for distribution by the still-incorporated Raffay dealership of Hamburg, Germany. The car, an authentic 1600 SC Coupe, was clad from the factory in Hellelfenbein (Light Ivory) over Kunstleder Schwartz (Black Leatherette) trim with Mouse Grey corduroy seat inserts and optioned with Dunlop 165-15 tires.
Interestingly, a copy of the car’s Kardex factory build record on hand shows it was originally destined for the Schultz Porsche distributor in Düsseldorf before being rerouted to Raffay. In any case, 131784 was collected by its first owner, Dr. Seba F. Hutson of Long Beach, California on 9 April 1965. Hutson was likely on holiday in Europe when he purchased his 356, as the Kardex shows three factory services were performed under warranty by Porsche throughout the summer of 1965.
By the late 1990s, chassis 131784 had found its way to the Los Angeles area under the ownership of Alan Marriott. Service invoices follow Marriott’s maintenance during his curation, notably including a bare metal repaint in 2002 and major engine-out service in 2003, which included the installation of a new clutch, pressure plate, and throw out bearing.
At some point in the car’s life, its factory Solex carburetors were swapped in favor of a twin high-performance Weber arrangement. A pair of correct Solex carburetors are included in the sale, however, as is a collection of factory tools, jack, and owner’s manuals. Since being acquired by the White Collection in 2015, the car has been meticulously maintained in its lightly patinaed state, including a monthly running of the engine to operating temperature.
Now offered with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and Kardex copy confirming its numbers-matching drivetrain, this 1965 356 SC would no doubt be welcome at many exhibition and driving events, offering its next owner the opportunity to acquaint themselves with a model at the very foundation of Porsche’s ongoing legend.