Description
The rare and desirable 356 Carrera – chassis number 56118 – is one of the earlier 1500 GS-spec Carreras, the letters standing for 'Grand Sport'. The new Carrera Coupe left the Porsche factory on April 5, 1956.
This Carrera had spent a large part of its life within the well-known Rene Mauries collection. After 20 years, the car left France for Italy in 2001, where it was picked up by Sig. Vincenzo Di Leo. Its short ownership ended in 2002 when Enrico Consoli of Brescia bought the car for his own collection. Under his care, the car received a thorough restoration to the condition it is in today and also received a FIVA identity passport. Consoli let go of the Porsche in 2014 when another Porsche enthusiast traded the car for his 911 Carrera RS 2.7. In the Ted Gildred Collection, the Carrera has been treated for extra care in the form of ongoing inspections and maintenance. Invoices from recent years show a new battery being installed and the transaxle receiving fresh oil. The cam caps also received some attention, with the studs being cleaned and reinstalled to prevent oil weeping.
Presented in the beautiful code 535 Silver Metallic (just as the car would have left the Zuffenhausen-based factory more than 60 years ago) the Carrera looks appropriate and correct. A look inside reveals the well-maintained interior with blue Rexin leatherette and door cards and dashboard knobs believed to be original to the car. Overall this is a theme of the car, as noted by Porsche expert Taylor K Shannon who inspected the car in May 2017: “Overall this is a great example of a very rare model that still retains a lot of originality. ” His findings concluded that the car was fitted with the correct type 547/1 Carrera GS engine, although it is not the original unit with which the car left the factory from new. The engine found in the car today – stamped 90702 – is believed to have originally started life in 356A Carrera GS Speedster chassis No. 82031. However, the transmission is the matching numbers unit that Porsche installed in 1956. Closer inspection of this exceptional Carrera GS Coupe reveals that the front hood, rear hood and both driver and passenger doors are stamped with the last two or three digits of the chassis number, indicating that these are the original factory installed components .
This rare and desirable Carrera GS Coupe is offered with a significant history file, including a copy of the original Kardex built sheet, the Porsche-issued Certificate of Authenticity and the aforementioned FIVA Passport. A combination of rarity and originality make this particular example a must-have for any Porsche enthusiast, and suitability for a number of classic motorsport and rally events internationally only sweeten the deal further.
