Rare Air – 356SC Lightweights

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The SC lightweight was an evolution of the Super 90 GTs and 356B Carrera GT coupes that had been produced in years prior to be competition ready road cars. A total of four 356 SCs were configured with GT options from the factory by owners who wanted specific competition options.

By configuring the cars with specific lightweight components, some 200 pounds were shaved off from the standard production SC coupes through the use of aluminum body panels, bucket seats, Plexiglas side and rear windows, and leather pull-up straps for the windows. The production SC weighs in at 1980 pounds, so the 200 pound weight savings represents a 10% reduction in the overall vehicle’s weight and makes a significant difference in its driving characteristics.

Chassis 126955 is a well known example in the Porsche community. It was delivered to a famous Porsche dealer who was highly involved in motor racing- Wester Motors in Monterey, California. Bruce Anderson would quickly become the second owner and he was a prominent figure in the Porsche community and highly regarded marque expert, author and collector. Bruce reportedly competed in over 200 autocross events with the SC before changing his focus to competing on the Concours circuit. Following a bare metal restoration, he won first in class at the Hillsborough Concours and a third in class at Pebble Beach.

Chassis 127148 was delivered to another storied dealership with close ties to motorsport- Brumos in Jacksonville, Florida. It was campaigned in period in numerous racing events throughout Florida by its first owner, David McClain. In 1964, shortly after acquiring the car he competed in the Paul Whiteman trophy, where he finished in first place. In the Fourth annual Daytona Continental 2000km race, McClain and co-drivers Larry Perkins and Leland Dieas claimed a 1st in class victory and an 11th place overall finish racing alongside the supercars of the era, such as Ford GT40s, Shelby Cobra Daytonas, Ferrari 250 GTOs and Porsche 904 GTSs and some of the most legendary drivers of its era. A month later, he competed in the 12 hours of Sebring and finished 31st and entered in the 24 hours of Daytona.

In this video, Cam and Tim stretch the legs on both cars and explain some of the history and intricacies of these special models.

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