• Only four owners from new • Present ownership since 1991 (previous since 1967) • Professionally bodywork restoration 1991/1992 • Porsche 356SC engine and gearbox Although Ferdinand Porsche had established his independent 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.

The work of Ferry Porsche, the Type 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father, Ferdinand, and like the immortal 'Beetle' employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and all-independent torsion bar suspension.

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.

In 1951 a works car finished first in the 1,100cc clas...