Rustbucket 1962 Porsche 356 Might Be the Nastiest Numbers-Matching Example Left
Originally sold 57 years ago, this Porsche 356, or what’s left of it, is still being held together by hopes and dreams…and tow straps.
In Porsche-landia, finding a matching-numbers Type 356 is far rarer than seeing an actual example of the model being driven on the road. In this case, the term means that it comes with nearly every single part that it was built with from the factory, most notably the engine and the transmission. BarnFinds.com, however, has stumbled upon what appears to be a true unicorn, a matching-numbers 1962 Porsche 356 Coupe, listed for sale on eBay.
Given the context and the fact that it literally is the same as it was when it left the assembly line in Zuffenhausen, that sounds quite amazing. But when you peer at the listing itself—fair warning—it is a bit of a basket case.
The reason why a matching-numbers 356 would be a total unicorn is because most of the OG Porsche models still out there have typically had their engines swapped. Back when they were new, they were perceived as disposable, everyday cars and their powertrains were often swapped because they saw a lot of use; resultantly, finding a 356 with its original engine and transmission is certainly uncommon.
The 356 listed by renowned classic Porsche seller, Unobtainium Inc., is in quite a sad state having supposedly spent the majority of its life in storage in humid and muggy Florida, where the salty air just doesn’t do vintage metal any sort of favors. As its story goes, it was sold to an owner in Springfield, Massachusetts by the legendary Max Hoffman in New York in 1962. Since then, however, the car’s history has remained a bit of a mystery.
It originally sold in Ruby Red, though you’d never tell with how weathered and corroded the exterior is. The interior, or what’s left of it, also originally came in black. You can see hints of it here and there, but peer through the listing’s photos and it gets even worse.
As you can see, the car’s floor pan is basically nonexistent and being that Porsche 356s are unibody cars, there’s going to be a great need for some serious metal work. But given the state of the Porsche, rust seems like it’s the least of the car’s worries.
When fully restored, current prices for late-model Type 356s run well over $100k. Just quickly browsing AutoTrader Classic, a turnkey Type 356 can range from just north of $60,000 for a solid, but not perfect example, while Concours-quality restorations seem to hover closer to the $120k mark.
Given the level of restoration that this car needs, though, it might take more than it's worth if the party restoring the car isn’t doing most of its work in-house. Although, when restored, and if the numbers remain matching, this could boost its return somewhat to make the job worthwhile. As of this writing, the eBay auction's last bid was its seventh, ringing in at $8,100.
