This 1957 Porsche 356A left the factory as a cabriolet and was converted to an open-top race car under previous ownership. Chassis 61779 was campaigned under multiple owners in SCCA racing events from the 1970s through the 1990s and was acquired by the current owner in 2022. Finished in white with blue stripes and number 56 roundels, the car is powered by a replacement 1,640cc flat-four mated to a four-speed manual transaxle. It rides on 15″ Panasport wheels and is further equipped with four-wheel disc brakes, a Tilton brake-proportioning valve, dual Wilwood brake master cylinders, twin Solex carburetors, and a center-exit exhaust system. Inside, the race-prepped cockpit houses a single seat with a lap belt, a roll cage with door bars, a Personal steering wheel, and a fire-suppression system. This 356A race car is now offered on dealer consignment in Newbury Park, California, as part of Wob’s Icons of Zuffenhausen Collection with SCCA logbooks and a bill of sale.
Originally delivered as a cabriolet by Reutter, the body was modified into an open-top race car with the removal of the windshield and pillars. The car has been repainted white with blue stripes, and it wears a number 56 roundel on each door along with various sponsor decals. A spreadsheet provided in the gallery indicates collision damage occurred in 1987 involving the right side of the vehicle. The bumpers and headlights have been removed, and the headlight housings are covered by mesh guards. The hood and single-grille decklid are secured by pins, and further details include an external kill switch, body-color door handles, and a single central-exit exhaust outlet. Cracks in the paint and other flaws are shown in the gallery below.
Silver-finished 15″ Panasport wheels are mounted with older Goodyear Eagle slicks. Braking is via four-wheel discs with dual Wilwood master cylinders.
The cockpit has been stripped, refinished in white, and outfitted with a single seat trimmed in black and equipped with a lap belt. The roll cage incorporates door bars, and additional equipment includes a Tilton lever-type brake-proportioning valve, an aftermarket shifter with an exposed linkage, and an expired fire bottle.
The Personal steering wheel is wrapped in black microsuede and sits ahead of a mixed set of instrumentation including a 10k-rpm tachometer and gauges monitoring oil pressure, oil temperature, cylinder head temperature, and voltage. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and total mileage is unknown.
The replacement 1,640cc flat-four incorporates a Type 616/36 case, 356SC cylinder heads, 10.5:1 Venolia pistons, an Elgin camshaft, and CP-Carrillo connecting rods, according to a handwritten build sheet from 1994 shown in the gallery. Induction is via twin Solex carburetors with intake trumpets, and dual Holley fuel pumps feed an ATL fuel cell. An auxiliary oil cooler is stored in the front trunk compartment.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle.
A number of SCCA logbooks will accompany the car.
The car is not titled or registered and is being sold on a bill of sale only.
