Porsche 356 Pre-A Split-Screen Cabriolet

Split-screen 356s are the earliest cars to wear the Porsche name in production form, and this 1952 Cabriolet is one of the rarer survivors. Research quoted on the page suggests only around 260 split-screen Coupés and Cabriolets remain worldwide. It left the factory for Otto Glöckler in Frankfurt in March 1952 with the 1,500cc engine, vented wheels with turbo rings, fully reclining seats and a kilometre speedometer.

The car spent time in the United States, where a restoration begun in the 1980s stalled and the car sat dismantled in storage for thirteen years. A British enthusiast bought it in 2010, tracked down roughly 75% of the original components, and had it shipped to the UK for a full restoration by 356 specialist Roger Bray, completed in June 2013. It is fitted with a period-correct 1,500cc Type 527 engine and a Type 519 full-synchromesh gearbox in place of the original non-synchromesh unit.

It is finished in Fish Silver, the colour on the Kardex, over red leather with beige carpets and headlining. It won Best of Show at the Coys Concours just after completion and later appeared at Warren in 2016 and Heveningham Hall in 2023. It is left-hand drive, shows 950 miles and comes with a historical file covering its provenance and restoration.