Barn Find 1962 Porsche 356 Twin Grille Roadster Surfaces for Sale
Rare Belgian roadster may bring big bucks despite its rough condition.
When it comes to collectible early Porsches, it’s hard to beat the much hyped 1962 Porsche 356 Twin Grille roadster, mostly because only 249 of them were built. Also, because they carry an interesting history. For obvious reasons, you also don’t see too many 356 twin grille cars for sale very often. So, when a proper barn find like this one surfaces, we take notice.
We came across the rough roadster on eBay, where it recently failed to meet reserve despite a high bid of $245,000. That’s certainly a lot of coin for something in this kind of condition, but it’s also a testament to how crazy the Porsche secondary market has become. Heck, only a few years ago a stellar restored example hammered for $172,000 at a California Bonhams auction.
Surely, other than rarity, the fascinating story behind these cars is what continues to drive prices higher. The roadsters were actually constructed by D’Ieteren Freres S.A., a Belgian coach builder. During that time, the styling was also updated and dubbed the T-6 body type for its final year of production. Visual changes include a gas cap on the right side fender, a scuttle mounted air vent, and of course, those twin grilles on the engine cover.
Chassis number 89814 is an original Oslo Blue car with a black interior. It may not look like it but there are only 24,764 miles showing on the odometer. The seller claims that everything, including the drivetrain, is original. And since 1986, it’s been stashed away in a barn. Now, she’s finally seeing the light of day once again, and hopefully, this rare roadster finds a proper home soon.