Porsche 356 SL Gmund Le Mans Winner Finally Returns to the Road
This 356 SL Gmund coupe made its public debut at Rennsport Reunion last year in bare steel and aluminum. It was truly a sight to behold. Being that it was Porsche’s first Le Mans class winner ever, the car is imbued with a certain mystique. It has history, it has importance, it has gravitas. This 356 kick-started the company’s obsession with motorsport, and Porsche might not be the same company they are today if it weren’t for this car proving Porsche could fight against the big dogs on the world stage. Almost a year after its first unveiling, the car made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours in fully-restored, as-it-raced dress. With the fresh coat of paint and all of the amazing details, this car was a vision.
In the video below, Jay Leno talks to Rod Emory concerning the process of tracking down, restoring, and displaying one of the most significant 356s in the history of the marque. The car, following its use by the Porsche factory as a racing car, was shipped to the U.S. where it was sold to a new owner. At that time, it was just an old racing car, so the new owner cut the roof off of the car, and it continued racing through the 1990s, frequently making showings at Monterey Historic racing events. Using exacting scans of other 356 Gmund coupes, Rod was able to build a new roof for this 356, and with lots of research, including photos from the day it raced at Le Mans, the car was resurrected to its original glory.
Now that this piece of Porsche history has been revived, it can be held up as an example of excellent period-correct restorations. This car was not over-restored to better-than-original, as most old race cars are; this car is very close to how it raced originally, and that is commendable. I, for one, am glad that someone as enthusiastic as Cameron Healy is the one to have facilitated this restoration.
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Via [Jay Leno’s Garage, Road & Track]
