backgroundThe Porsche company s existence as a car manufacturer began in 1948, when it hand-fabricated a series of 49 cars in a temporary home in Gmund, Austria.

Christened the Type 356 after its design office project number, the car was well received and the Porsche family decided to go into full scale car production at its pre-war facilities in Stuttgart.

The design was refined and the first production 356 was born in March 1950.

Today these earliest of Porsches are revered not solely for their historical significance but also for their beauty, engineering and craftsmanship.

historyPorsche 356 chassis #50172 was completed on 12 February 1953 and was delivered via the French importer Sonauto in Paris.

It lived in South Carolina for 40 years before selling to a UK enthusiast in 2009.The car was fully restored by highly regarded 356 expert Roger Bray before selling to a well-known British club racer, Robert Barrie, who built it up into a lightweight racer with the assistance of the...