In the world of early Porsches, the 356A Speedster is just about the holy grail, right? Exactly, the fact that it was the first of the low-windscreen convertible 356s, combined with that truly voluptuous early 356 body with the lower headlights and bumpers, means it’s a seriously cool and expensive catch these days.
But – and there’s always a but – if you actually want a car you can use, but still have 99 per cent of the cool and 100 per cent of the air-cooled, upside-down bathtub Porsche magic, then maybe there’s an alternative you should be looking at. Hell, you might even save a few bucks into the bargain.
The car in question, of course, is the 356B Roadster. Mind you, don’t be thinking this is some chump-change special; a 356 of any sort will kick a big hole in the household budget for the year.
And that’s largely because any 356 – convertible, coupe, push-rod, quad-cammed, whatever – is about as magnificent and pure as classic motoring gets. So there’s no need to turn this in to a he-said-she-said kind of thing, but it is worth noting the improvements the B Roadster brought to the table.
Starting at the start, the 356B Roadster was the replacement for the 356A Speedster. That said, it wasn’t quite that simple, because in the time between 1958 when the Speedster was phased out, and the introduction of the 356B model in 1960, there was also what’s become known as the Convertible D.
The latter was kind of an improved Speedster and it’s another incredibly sought-after model, but you’re actually more likely to step in unicorn poop than to stumble across a Convertible D for sale. Only 1330 were made, making the 2653 356B Roadsters made look common (about as common as a politician worth feeding, anyway). And even though Porsches have a great habit of sticking around, these days the number remaining would be a fraction of that. So, still a rare beast, then.
In any case, the B Roadster improved upon the original Speedster by raising the windscreen (though it was still a cut-down unit compared with the 356 Convertible which was the more luxurious option).
But the taller frame and glass meant that Porsche could fit a slightly taller convertible roof, giving the impression of interior space a boost.
Okay, so maybe most people drove their 356s top-down (I would) but let’s not forget that these cars were sold all around the world, including places where the prevailing weather ranged from dreadful to England. Oh yeah, the taller roof and revised body also brought wind-up windows to the concept, another big step forward.
The rest of the deal is pure 356 drop-top, including the ability to make more of 60 horsepower than you could ever imagine.
But if you were some kind of ’60s power junkie, you could always opt for the Super 90 engine which got a beefier clutch and, as the name suggests, delivered a rampaging 90 neddies through the four-speed gearbox.
Don’t laugh. Ninety horses was a big serve for something that weighed about 870kg wet, and it gave the resulting vehicle a top speed of about 175km/h, a 0-100 time of less than 12 seconds and an 18.3-second quarter-mile time which, in those days, was w-a-y better than average, even among sporty cars.
You might imagine that drum brakes were never going to work in a performance car, but the reality is that the Porsche is so dainty and light on its feet that drums were all that was needed. Throw in the fact that they were big buggers with alloy cooling fins shrunk on to them and it starts to make sense.
Perhaps the 356’s biggest contradiction was its chassis balance. You only need to drive one a few metres to understand that it’s an agile, dynamic symphony of poise and sidestep. And yet, that same swing-axle rear suspension that helps it turn and grip so well, is also the element that brought a percentage of owners undone in the day.
Fundamentally, the swing-axle rear is fine right up to its limit, and then it can turn awfully nasty awfully quick. And, because the limit is so high when it does run out of charm, the resulting prang is often of the large variety. But, keep the car shod with quality tyres, keep them at the right pressure, and fit a decent set of shocks – Konis are the favoured brand – and the downsides are greatly reduced. Also, Super 90 cars got a slightly softer rear torsion bar and a compensator spring to try to limit camber change.
But the thing to definitely do with a Porsche 356 is drive it. The owner of this car, Melbourne-based Michael Albrecht, is certain of that and takes every opportunity to drive the wheels off a car that he bought just before the turn of the century as a way to remember his father. Albrecht Senior wasn’t a Porsche man per se, but Michael remembers him owning VWs and just figured that the Roadster would be a great reminder of his dad every time he jumped in it.
“And it was a nice step up from a VW,” says Michael.
You got that right, pal, especially since it has the Super 90 engine option from the factory.
The car he ended up with is actually an Australian-delivered, factory right-hand drive car that was delivered brand new in 1960 by Hamiltons (the Aussie Porsche distributor at the time, and the first Porsche dealer anywhere on the planet that wasn’t in Germany). It’s also one of nine 356B Roadsters that Hamiltons retailed in the day.
Michael’s not the sort of bloke to fiddle with perfection, and the only modification to his B has been to dice the stock Solex 40mm carbs (Zeniths on the non-Super engine) in favour of a pair of two-barrel downdraft Webers which he reckons really perks things up.
In fact, that originality was a big selling point, that and the car’s obvious charms: “I love the fact that it’s such an honest little car. It does everything, handles magnificently, it’s very reliable and it’s great fun to drive. It’s truly great around corners. And it’s a great looking car, especially with the roof down. It’s cheap to run and tends to be a car that a lot of people smile at when they spot it.”
Like we said, the Roadster gets used as the good Doctor intended. It’s been to New Zealand for a 356 rally and driven interstate just for laughs.
“I reckon its finest moment was probably an event called the Melbourne Mille. I was driving through the twisties with a group of Alfa GTVs, Astons, you name it. We were really hauling, and even the heater was working perfectly.”
Speaking of perfect, that stunning black paint is the other non-original aspect.
“It was delivered new in an awful greeny-blue colour. A bit like a dirty aqua. Fortunately, it had been painted before I got it, but the paint had to be resprayed a few years back. We used to live on a big block and we had horses. I parked the 356 next to a paddock where the horses lived. One of them must have got bored, so he reached over the fence and started nibbling at the car cover I used. Trouble is, he didn’t stop at the cover and managed to nibble the paint off the fender. Now that was an interesting insurance claim.”
These days, Michael is careful to keep a distance between the 356 and any bored nags that might be lurking around. But the car doesn’t sit for too long, anyway, and he reckons he manages to give it a gallop at least a couple of times a week. So keep your eyes peeled and you might see it go by. You’ll have to be quick, though.