West Coast Classics are proud to present a 1962 Porsche 356B 'Twin Grille' 1600 T6 2 Door Cabriolet by Reutter (built in 1962) with an earlier model (Pre-A 1951-2 engine # P-70-805) 1488cc engine and factory original (97-741-2A) 4 speed manual transmission!
It boasts its original steering wheel, original clock and its factory optional Ventilated Chrome Wheels.
In September of 1959 Porsche revealed their fully updated 356 known as the 356B. This had a completely revised body that was more suitable for the American market. The 356B used the new T5 bodystyle which raised the front and rear bumpers nearly four inches. Furthermore the headlights were also repositioned higher to meet American regulations. Inside Porsche fitted a new deep dish steering wheel and deeper front seats.
The Porsche 356 was the car which put the marque on the map and is most certainly the companies most iconic. Between 1948 and 1965, more than 76,000 were built, as coupes, open roadster speedsters and cabriolets. While the basic design and shape of the 356 changed very little over its lifetime, there were several generations of cars.
The first, characterized by split (or bent) windshields, were built through 1954. From 1955 to 1959, a revised model designated the 356A was built with a curved windshield and modified suspension. It was succeeded during 1959 by the 356B or T5 model, which although to the casual observer appeared to change very little from its predecessor, had in fact received minor alterations to almost every aspect of the model, including most obviously a new nose contour that raised the headlights upwards and vertically with new front wings to accommodate and new bigger and stronger bumpers.
In August of 1961 Porsche revealed the updated T6 body with larger windows for the Coupe and twin engine grills on the rear deck. These had a much revised front trunk with a different gas tank that was accessed under a filler lid on the fender instead of the middle of the trunk. In 1963, the 356C marked the third and final update to the 356 saga.
Although Porsche sourced bodies from a number of suppliers, by far the most came from Reutter. 'Karosseriefabrik Reutter & Co.' of Stuttgart, Germany had a long association with Porsche. Founded as a coach-building firm in 1906, Reutter pioneered lightweight construction, using Weymann fabric patents and early use of aluminum. Reutter furnished prototypes to Ferdinand Porsche in 1932, during the early days of the Volkswagen project, then bodied Mercedes and BMW cars during the 1930s.
The association with Porsche was rekindled in 1950, when the nascent Porsche company returned from Austria to Stuttgart. Porsche's old facilities were occupied by the US Army, so Reutter leased some plants to Porsche for car production and started producing bodies for a number of 356 models. These included coupes, cabriolets and speedsters. While Karmann also built coupes in the 1960s, most of the open cars were by Reutter.
