Photo: Porsche
When random people get hold of some $35,000 and they don't need the money for anything else, they'll probably go out and buy themselves a Camaro. At least that's what average Joes do. For the rich among us, that same amount is just change to top off a hefty, $300,000 bid for a 1956 Porsche 356A at a sale event in California.
One of the biggest auctions of the summer was the one hosted by Mecum in Monterey. It took place at about the same time as the Car Week and it was filled with incredible cars, both of the iconic American variety and of the European classics style.
The crowds present in Monterey seem to have been loaded with money, as most of the cars that went under the hammer (not all, but close enough) found new owners. Some of the vehicles met the sellers' expectations, while others, like the Porsche shown here, went significantly above.
When we first brought the 356 under the spotlight in early August we told you how the estimate for it was of at least $300,000. Now that the event has concluded, we learn of the car not only selling, but doing so for a price that's a full brand new Camaro on top of that: $335,000.
The reasons for the car's success are obvious to anyone, not only car lovers. After all the 356, as Porsche's first production vehicle, has been incredibly important for the German carmaker, and so historically relevant for the industry that people seem to still go nuts over them.
This particular version of 356 is of the A 1600 Speedster variety, with the body crafted by Reutter. It all means the model is a scarce one, an example the likes of which about 1,000 were ever made.
Packing the usual air-cooled 1,600cc flat-4 engine under the red panels, the Porsche is also equipped with center lock hub Rudge knock-off wheels, highly sought after by collectors. It’s believed only a few Porsches of this variety are equipped with the said wheels.
Cars of this caliber are often owned by famous people, and the 356 is no exception, as its history includes ownership by a West Coast racer named Jack Brumby. In fact, it was Brumby who first purchased the car.
The car spent the past three decades in the hands of a private collector, and when it surfaced earlier this August it did so with the same amount of shine it had when it was first made.
We're not told who the new owner of the 1956 Porsche 356A Reutter is, and it's likely the car will disappear into a private collection once more, at least for a few years. It will sell again sometime in the future, as these things don't stay put forever.
The crowds present in Monterey seem to have been loaded with money, as most of the cars that went under the hammer (not all, but close enough) found new owners. Some of the vehicles met the sellers' expectations, while others, like the Porsche shown here, went significantly above.
When we first brought the 356 under the spotlight in early August we told you how the estimate for it was of at least $300,000. Now that the event has concluded, we learn of the car not only selling, but doing so for a price that's a full brand new Camaro on top of that: $335,000.
The reasons for the car's success are obvious to anyone, not only car lovers. After all the 356, as Porsche's first production vehicle, has been incredibly important for the German carmaker, and so historically relevant for the industry that people seem to still go nuts over them.
This particular version of 356 is of the A 1600 Speedster variety, with the body crafted by Reutter. It all means the model is a scarce one, an example the likes of which about 1,000 were ever made.
Packing the usual air-cooled 1,600cc flat-4 engine under the red panels, the Porsche is also equipped with center lock hub Rudge knock-off wheels, highly sought after by collectors. It’s believed only a few Porsches of this variety are equipped with the said wheels.
Cars of this caliber are often owned by famous people, and the 356 is no exception, as its history includes ownership by a West Coast racer named Jack Brumby. In fact, it was Brumby who first purchased the car.
The car spent the past three decades in the hands of a private collector, and when it surfaced earlier this August it did so with the same amount of shine it had when it was first made.
We're not told who the new owner of the 1956 Porsche 356A Reutter is, and it's likely the car will disappear into a private collection once more, at least for a few years. It will sell again sometime in the future, as these things don't stay put forever.
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