In honor of the Porsche Rennsport Reunion which is kicking off today in Monterey, I decided that my Pick of the Day has to be a Porsche. After sifting through the 800 plus Porsche listings on ClassicCars.com, I was finally able to pick one car that I would happily have in my garage.
The Pick of the Day is this stunning 1964 Porsche 356C Cabriolet located in Essex, Massachusetts.
I could have picked a 911, a 914, or even a 944, but the Porsche 356 is in essence the origin of the species for Porsche road cars. The 356 put Porsche on the map as a manufacturer of high quality sports cars, combining strong engineering principals, with nice aerodynamic styling, and adding something that was lacking in many sports cars at the time: reliability.
Construction of the Porsche 356 series cars ran from 1948 through 1965, and by the end of production in 1965 Porsche built around 76,000 of the cars in all series and body styles. Each model 356 was improved over the years to make them better, using lessons learned on the road and the race track from the previous series. The 356C here is one of the final series of 356 cars and had a more powerful engine, revised suspension, and for the first time on a Porsche road car, disc brakes. This means that it was faster, handled better, and had improved stopping power.
This specific 1964 Porsche 356C is being offered by a well respected dealer and restoration shop in Essex, MA and it is, as described by them, as a nice #2 condition driver level car. I, just by random chance, actually saw this exact car in August at this year’s Misselwood Concours Cars and Coffee event and can personally attest that this 356 is a very nice example.
According to the seller this 356C cabriolet is a local resident of the Boston area since new. It was delivered to first owner Ethel Carney of Brookline, Massachusetts, on September 9th, 1964. They add that little is known about the history of the car until their sales team purchased the car locally in 2022. The car is in its original colors of Irish Green paint over a Black interior, and it retains the matching engine and transmission. They add that this 356 has recently received a mechanical tune up and is in good running and driving condition. They add that a compression test shows results between 125-130 psi on all four cylinders.
In addition to the tune up this car received a new top, headliner and tonneau cover installed by the Paul Russell and Company Upholstery Department which compliment the handsome interior. A nice addition is the period looking, yet modern radio which has an auxiliary adapter to connect to a mobile phone.
The exterior just received a comprehensive detailing which highlights the Irish Green paint, but still shows some minor wear from over the years. The seller closes stating that this 356C is a text book good driver, and is ready for some top-down cruising. The tool roll, jack, spare tire, Kardex, owner’s manual and driver’s manual accompany the sale of this car.
This Porsche is the perfect car to take to local shows and would be an ideal car for most vintage rally events. Sure there will be faster cars, but few cars are as fun to drive on a vintage rally event than a well sorted 356 is. These cars offer a classic sports car driving experience combined with unrivaled levels of reliability. They are also comfortable with an easy to raise and lower top that actually keeps the elements at bay when needed. This 356 would be my pick for events such as the New England 1000 or the Smoky Mountain Tour.
The asking price for this 1964 Porsche 356C Cabriolet is $165,000 which is well in line for the current market value of these cars. This is one that you can really buy sight unseen as the seller will disclose anything you ask about and their reputation is one of the best in the world.
What could be more fun than to buy this car and take it to the next Rennsport Reunion for the weekend?
