Shawn Stanford

Sorry, it was dark: No pics.

Last night at a pizza place on Havey's Lake, PA, I saw a silver 356 cabriolet with a hard top. Beautiful car, lots of details that make me think it was original and not a replica.

The biggest indicator that it wasn't a kit was that it wasn't a bathtub Speedster. Not round enough, and there was a distinct crease in the rear fender that ran from behind the door, up and above the wheel arch. The crease wasn't particularly sharp, and it blended at a point above the wheel arch.

I poked around on the internet, but I couldn't find anything quite like it.

Help a non-356 guy out?

dave292

Replicas come in a lot of shapes and sizes. There are non Speedster replicas of other 356 models including B and C cars. By your description of a removable hardtop it could have been a speedster, convertible D, A cab, roadster etc.

P356GT

Did it look like this then?

Karmann Coupe....it is like a Cabriolet with a hardshell welded to it

pdxjim

1961 Karmann. The car I took my driver's test in. Easy to park!

Shawn Stanford

Hmm... I don't see the crease in the fender. It was very distinctive.

Also: the front corner turn indicators were in the headlamps and the rearview mirror was a clamshell on the fender. It looked completely blended in, not bolted on.

pdxjim

Outlaw?

Shawn Stanford

I don't think so. It was completely pristine.

Shawn Stanford

Okay, so the creases in the fenders ahead of the wheel arches are reminiscent of a Karmann Ghia. The crease didn't continue forward onto the door, though. And it was absolutely a 356. I poked around on GIS for 356 Karmann and didn't find anything that looked right.

dave292

I don't understand creases in the fenders. There are no creases in the fenders.

Shawn Stanford

Now you understand my confusion.

Jerry Feather

There are creases in the rear quarters of the 356 Porsche America Roadster, but they go all the way to the tail rather than ending just above the wheel arch. I haven't seen one with a hard top, but I suppose there could be such an animal.

Zed.

Hardtop?

Jerry Feather

Yes, that is a hard top on that Cab, and I have seen those before, but was there ever one for the America Roadster?

Cupcar#12

humm.. creases in the fenders....
http://zagatosghost.blogspot.com/201...b-carrera.html

if that... easy 6 figure car
there are only 2 356s with creases that i can think of the.. the Abarth GTL and the America roadster
http://www.carsfotodb.com/photo/pors...2/default.html

both are super rare

Cupcar#12

although an A coupe flank kinda looks like a crease -
http://bringatrailer.com/2012/12/21/...-porsche-356a/

in silver even more so..