Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera

The car’s first and second owners raced the car quite extensively in Kenya, winning the grandly titled East Africa GT Championship, a feat repeated by the second owner Bill Parkinson in 1964.

Ian Johnson used the car on road and track for nearly 20 years, in Kenya, Uganda and then back home in the UK too, attending many Porsche Club GB events and using the car to commute on a frequent basis.  On emigration to New Zealand, the car was sold to well-known club racer John de Lucas who raced it in the UK for many years with his daughter, Caroline in events such as the Giroflex series where they regularly competed against much more modern Porsche 911s.

The car passed to well-known Porsche 356 expert Roger Bray who restored the car for his own collection in 2008. The current owner, an enthusiastic driver of air-cooled Porsche sports cars, persuaded Roger to part with the car in 2014 and has since installed a powerful but extremely tractable twin plug road engine with approximately 130hp, more than it would have had in period.

our thoughts

The 356 remains a slight anathema in the UK. Long the preserve of enthusiasts only, it is slowly becoming appreciated by drivers who relish the feel of a simpler era with less power and less road-holding too. Generally loved by other road users for its more friendly character and shape, it is treated with more respect and considerably more courtesy than more modern water-cooled Porsche cars.

This special little car has had a full life in its 67 years on planet Earth. From the sun-baked plains of East Africa to the race tracks of England via the commuter roads of London, it has truly been loved by each of its owners to date.

Resplendent in its highly attractive road-racer trim of white / tan and with plenty of perky performance from its highly appropriate tuned pushrod engine, it would definitely fill a fun corner of a collection of cars to be enjoyed.
Alternatively, it might be fun to return it to its beautiful original specification of aquamarine metallic blue (over grey) while retaining the current mechanical set-up. Regardless, it is a rare and important early Porsche car that truly met its maker’s hopes for a sporty life.