1962 Porsche 356 B Super 90 RHD Reutter Cabriolet   Registr...

Estimate

£140,000 - £150,000

1962 Porsche 356 B Super 90 RHD Reutter Cabriolet  

Registration Number: NME 719
Chassis Number: 157398
Recorded Mileage: c.1,200 miles 

- One of 36 RHD Super 90 Cabriolets produced
- With just two private owners since 1982

Porsche’s 356 Cabriolets were truly luxurious touring machines, as they offered a strong unitised chassis with a fixed windscreen, a plush interior with comfortable and heavily padded seats, and a thick, multi-layer fabric folding top, which helped to isolate the fortunate driver and passenger from road noise and vibration. The back jump seats also had folding backs that better lent themselves to additional luggage-carrying duties.

The 356 B was introduced in 1960 with the T5 body design, which included coupé, roadster, and cabriolet variants. In turn, the B further evolved into the T6 in 1960, offering a revised nose with a larger, squared-off front boot lid, the gas filler lid being relocated to the top of the right-front wing, and the addition of a second grille panel to the engine lid. Several engine options were offered: the Normal in 6-horsepower form, the 75-horsepower Super, the Super 90, and, of course, the rarely seen Carrera, all with 1,600-cubic centimetre capacity.

The Super 90’s Type 616/7 engine was a very strong unit, as it offered 90 brake horsepower at 5,500 rpm with the aid of 9.0:1 compression and a pair of 40-millimetre Solex carburettors. A reviewer of the day wrote that “Super 90s could be revved about 800 rpm higher than other 356 B 1600s thanks to a special cooling layout that gathered in more air, plus a nitrided crank and cam-bearing surfaces, a lighter flywheel, stiffer valve springs, light-alloy rockers, larger-diameter (by five millimetres) main bearings, and cylinders lined with Ferral, a coating of steel over molybdenum. S90s also had a unique oil pickup system that allowed the engine to draw lubricant from the sump’s full side in hard cornering, thus ensuring proper lubrication at all times. It was an important advance that Porsche racers had wanted for several years and was especially welcome in the high-performance 90”.

This very attractive UK-delivered Right Hand Drive 356 Super 90 Cabriolet was completed in November 1962, to be despatched to its first UK owner in early 1963 via Porsche importers AFN of Isleworth, West London. A late B-model, this 356 Super 90 was specified with the T6 body by Reutter with twin grilles to the engine cover. The 356 was originally specified in Ivory with Red trim, and supplied with the additional options of an Armrest, Persenning (hood cover), Stone Guard for Headlights, Electric Headlamp, Kokomats in Grey and Expander. 

Interestingly the first owner was Vincent motorcycle draughtsman Hans ‘Johnny’ Edwards. Hans was one of the first to own, and race, a Vincent in Canada back in 1947, arriving in the UK a few years later seeking work. Hans found himself at the door of the Vincent/HRD factory in Stevenage, where he settled. According to the car’s accompanying Porsche Fahrzuegkartei, the 356 continued to be maintained by AFN up to c.20,000 miles in August 1964. The car’s history picks up again in 1982, at which point the 356 was acquired by Polish film director Androres Anthony (Andrzej) Karpinski. Karpinsky started his career as a technician under the direction of such luminaries as Ridley Scott and Hugh Hudson, later to become a cinematographer in film and commercial television work. We are given to understand from the present owner that he was informed by Mr. Karpinski that he purchased the car from Ridley Scott in 1982.

Nicely finished in metallic silver with original red leather interior, we understand the 356 starts and runs extremely well, with ample power from the 1600c Super 90 engine, and crisp handling. Front disc brakes haul the 356 up neatly. The car’s history file contains its Porsche Driver’s Manual, a copy of the factory original data card and Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and MoT certificates dating back to 1982. All in all this is a very attractive and well prepared example of a rare, UK-delivered classic Porsche.

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