European Collectibles has recently acquired a 1959 Porsche 356A Convertible D that is very straight with original floor pans and all matching numbers that is an excellent candidate for a full concours restoration. VIN Number 86693 was originally finished in Ivory (5704) with Red leatherette interior. It was the 806 Convertible D built, completed on July 23, 1959. Factory options include an ashtray, cigarette lighter, US bumpers, Ponto Stabil mirror, 2 safety belts, a jack, a spare rim, and an original tool kit.

Delivered new to the first owner Mr. Sayles in La Jolla, California. The second owner from Tarzana purchased the Convertible D on September 30, 1975, and owned this 356 for the past 46 years. This 356 Convertible D has remained a California over the past 62 years. You may elect to restore this example back to its original color combination or change it to another period-correct color combination of your choice. This example has its matching engine, transmission, fuel tank, fuel sender, date-coded wheels, decks, and doors.

European Collectibles is offering an exclusive opportunity to acquire a Convertible D and have our team of experts complete a full concour restoration in any color combination you choose. The Convertible Ds have only been getting harder and harder to find and are the same body as the Speedster with a taller windshield, roll-up windows, taller top, and coupe seats.

History of the Convertible D
The 1958-1959 Porsche 356A Convertible D model is arguably one of the rarest "production" Porsche 356 models ever manufactured for a full year (T6 "twin grille" Roadster was produced for only a few months). Only 1,331 Convertible Ds were made between August 1958 and September 1959. By 1958 the Speedster model was four years old, and sales were declining. Porsche realized that significant improvements were necessary to attract new buyers, but that there was certainly a market for a "weekend racer" with a removable windshield. The Porsche 356A Convertible D was the solution (though a modern marketing department would have picked a racier name!).

Because overall Porsche sales were growing at a steady pace, and the Reutter coachworks were straining to keep up with the demand, Porsche contracted with the Drauz company in Heilbronn to manufacture bodies for the Convertible D (the "D" stood for Karosseriewerke Drauz KG). On July 31, 1958, Porsche sent a letter to all of their Porsche dealers announcing the new "Convertible D" model and specifying the differences.

All in all, the Convertible D is a more practical 356 than the Speedster: a larger windshield, roll-up side windows, and more comfortable seats while retaining the beautiful body lines and the downward sloping beltline that now attracts so many 356 enthusiasts. Of course, some of the minimalist, racier features of the Speedster were lost, and many Porsche purists complained long and loud in 1958!

For the 1960 model year, the Convertible D model was replaced by the 356 B Roadster based on the new T5 body style. However, sales of the "stripped down" 356 continued to decline, and the last year of Roadster production was in 1962 when just 248 T6-bodied cars were made, with production ceasing well before the end of the model year. In the current market, it is ironic that these 356 models that were the least expensive "back in the day" Speedster, Convertible D, and Roadster are now more expensive than the luxury version Cabriolets.