1957 356A Carrera GS (Numbers Matching Car) SOLD

SOLD

This Carrera is available again, our customer decided he wanted the 356C Carrera 2 instead.

This 1957 356A Carrera, serial number 57883, carries the distinction of being a blue chip investment and a usable, enjoyable automobile.  The Carrera model is distinguished by its Ernst Fuhrman-designed, four-cam, high-performance engine.  The Carrera was the most exclusive of Porsche various 356 models, with an annual average production of only 100 units.  The example presented here has its investment qualifications in place: matching numbers gearbox, engine, and original body panels with factory-correct fit.  It also has an interesting history.

The Carrera models are rare in large part because they were very expensive when new, over $6,000 when $4,000 would buy a nicely trimmed out 356A coupe.  A large part of extra that cost was represented by the Carrera high-performance engine.  While required on the race track, it was an engine few felt they needed to enjoy their 356s on the road.  Only the most sporting of owners in 1957 specified the high revving, 110 hp, roller crankshaft, four-cam engine.  But as the Carrera engine proved its worth on race tracks and in hill climbs around the world, it also became more widely admired for what it added to the 356’s street performance.  Compared to the standard 356 pushrod engine, the essential difference in the Carrera engine was its overhead valve train, driven by a series of gears.  That valve train let Dr. Furhmann’s 1496cc engine breathe deeply and rapidly, all the way up to its then remarkable 6500 rpm red line.

The Carrera presented here is the newly designed A-body introduced in September 1955 for the 1956 model year.  The A model was a substantial advance over the pre-A’s more Volkswagen derived design.  Among other aspects, it featured an all new suspension, an all new body, and an improved interior.  Abetting this example’s investment potential is the presence of its original, numbers-matching engine, s.n. 90723, and gearbox, s.n. 11857; the car’s drive train has not been altered.  The car’s hood, doors, and deck lid are also numbered with their correct matching factory numbers.  The car has factory correct gaps all around.  Originally this Carrera was painted Polyantha Red, number 5602, but that has been changed to an excellent black finish that has held up well with no signs of wear. The interior is factory correct in tan leather.  The factory build sheet, or  Kardex,  shows that this Carrera was delivered new with sealed beam headlights, head-rest, seat belts, and chrome wheels.  We’ve recently added a handsome and correct VDM wood steering wheel to add character to the well finished interior.

This Carrera was ex-factory in mid-November 1956, and then was delivered through Japan’s Mitsuwa Motors to its first owner, thought to be a U.S. serviceman.  He subsequently moved to California, where the Carrera enjoyed a long “black plate” life.  Just after 2000 the car was sold to Europe where it gained its F.F.V.E. certification in 2005.  The Carrera was entered in the 2006 Mille Miglia where it performed flawlessly.

This Carrera is quite original (paint exception noted), well-sorted, mechanically strong, and very attractive.  Road Scholars is proud to offer this special 1957 356A Carrera, now available to a discriminating automobile enthusiast and investor at a fair price that provides immediate upside potential to the lucky purchaser.