Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500

The replacement 1,500cc flat-four was installed under previous ownership, while work performed in November 2023 involved tuning the twin carburetors, replacing the fuel filter, changing the oil, and refreshing the gearbox fluid. The engine has been re-stamped. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a replacement four-speed manual transaxle. This example is available to view at our showrooms outside London immediately.

• 1953 Porsche 356 Pre-A Cabriolet
• 1 of 394 Examples Bodied by Reutter Karosserie
• A rare example of the ‘Knickscheibe” ‘bent-window’ 356
• Offered from a significant Porsche 356 collection
• UK Registered

The earliest 356s were built at the Porsche’s facility in Gmünd, Austria, but by 1950 the firm had outgrown the one-time sawmill and production was transferred to Zuffenhausen. Coachwork was entrusted to Reutter and formed from steel rather than aluminium. The 356 Cabriolet joined the line-up that same year, and while relatively spartan, the model underwent steady mechanical and cosmetic improvement. By 1953, the 356 boasted mounted bumpers, a one-piece “bent” windscreen (to replace the previous split-window arrangement), a synchromesh gearbox, and the option of a larger capacity 1,500-cc air-cooled flat-four engine that offered a marked increase in performance. These early Porsche 356s were retrospectively dubbed ‘Pre-A’ upon the arrival of the 356 A in 1955. Cars built for the 1953 model year were the first to feature the attractive quadruple “beehive” tail-lamp arrangement.