By Rev. C.J. Barry Kentner
An l953 Porche is a very nice car….but an l953 356 Pre A Porche coupe is a real classic. And that’s what Paul Weese of Dresden has a rare l953 Pre A 365 Porche. Rare because it is one of the first of the 356 models made. These cars were produced from 1948 to 1965, and they were sports cars, and only a few Pre-As were made.
Ferdinand Porche had designed and built other vehicles before the outbreak of World War Two, as a consultant and engineer. It was the 356 however that marked the beginning of the auto-making concern that bears the Family Name, when cars were first put up for sale in 1948.
The 356 retained its general body design for the entire model run…which ended in 1965. However, the 356 was refined several times, beginning in 1948 with the aluminum-bodied cars, made in Gmund Austria, followed by the steel-bodied models made in Germany. As the design changed, so did the model name: 356 (or Pre A), 356 A, B, and C. Several other Porsche models were made beyond that date and continue to be made today.
This car was purchased in Michigan, in l985, and literally came in pieces. It is an off-frame, “ground-up” restoration.
Ontario restorer Dave Weston was the principal restorer, Walt McKay performed the twin carb, 60 Horsepower motor restoration, and Rodger Holmes did the paintwork. It has a steel body, has been re-upholstered in its original style Beige Corduroy and has a characteristic one-piece bent windshield. As in most early 365 coupes, there are some parts and designs that were created for the Beetle … the original VW. Restoration has been slow, being almost complete in 2023. In fact. since it was restored it has only traveled 392 miles.
Cars of Today don’t rust away,
But watch them chip and fade…
For it’s plastic and glass.
Not metal or mass,
That requires today’s first aid.
Rev. C.J. Barry Kentner (c)
