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Multiple concours award winner
Factory Electric Sunroof
VDM Wood Rim Steering Wheel
Matching numbers engine and transmission
Kardex and Porsche Certificate of Authenticity
Large collection of historical documents
Includes original owner’s manual, sales brochure, original Porsche key fob, complete and correct tool kit, jack, and spare
Often times the visual that comes to people’s minds when “early Porsches” are mentioned is the classic and iconic Porsche 356. With its timeless styling that evolved over the course of its 10+ year production run, increasingly gaining power and handling improvements during that time, it became a well-known and well-loved sports car. With space for two front passengers and 2 slightly smaller passengers in the back, it became a sports car that could be argued as “practical.” No doubt helping with its popularity, the 356 would cement itself as one of the all-time greats of early sports car design, and still reflects that today with its enthusiast base and strong values.
This numbers matching 356 SC Coupe completed production at the Porsche factory on February 26th, 1964 according to its Porsche Kardex. Painted in Irish Green with a Light Brown Leatherette interior, it was optioned with a Power Sunroof, Chrome Wheels, and a Wood Rim Steering Wheel with a Chrome Horn Ring, and sold new by Competition Motors in Culver City, California, to Lawrence Spector for $5,850. Mr. Spector lived in Hollywood and worked for the cosmetics company Max Factor. Shortly after his purchase of the 356 SC, Spector was scheduled to be transferred to South America, and rather than take his new Porsche with him he sold it for $4,650 to Mr. James Dry who lived locally in nearby La Crescenta. As it turned out, Spector's transfer did not materialize and he offered Mr. Dry a profit of $300 to sell him the car back, which proved unsuccessful as Dry had become attached to his newly acquired 356 Coupe.
An aircraft mechanic by trade, employed by Lockheed Martin, Mr. Dry was an experienced Porsche 356 mechanic who had a small shop in his backyard, and another in his basement. Over the years Dry owned a total of seven 356's, occasionally selling them on after he had prepared them mechanically. The Irish Green 'SC' however, stayed under his stewardship for thirty-one years, until he eventually sold it to James Thomson of Los Altos, in Northern California. Mr. Thomson was an engineer for Lockheed Martin and met Mr. Dry through work. The two became good friends through their mutual interest in Porsche 356's, with Thompson previously purchasing a '61 356 Cabriolet from Dry. Mr. Thomson had expressed to Mr. Dry that if he ever decided to sell the SC Coupe, he would like to buy it, and a deal was finally cemented on December 21, 1995.
Mr. Thomson maintained the 356 himself, adding very few miles during his ownership, and eventually sold it to purchase a new Mercedes in May, 1999. The new owner, Daniel Rogers, was a fanatic for documentation, and serves as the Director of the Smithsonian Institute for the Department of Archeology. Rogers completed his purchase of the Irish Green 356 SC Coupe on May 30, 1999, and had it transported from Los Altos to his home in Alexandria, Virginia. Upon receipt, as was his nature, Rogers meticulously documented the car in detail. He made telephone contact with previous owners, and visited with James Dry at his home on June 18, 1999, with the intent to chronograph the 356 SC's ownership history since new. Over his next seventeen years, Rogers would document every detail of his time spent as caretaker of chassis 128849 in three volumes of notes, and five photo albums. His journey from purchase, servicing, attending driven events, through a complete show level restoration, and display at Concours d'Elegance is archived in full. Included in the sale are all of Rogers' meticulous documents, photos of the 2012-2014 restoration, the 2013 engine rebuild, and additional treasures such as a rare original new-old-stock Porsche key fob, and a pair of his-and-hers 1960's Porsche 356 vintage wrist watches.
Concours d'Elegance Show Results under the ownership of Daniel Rogers
1999 - PCA Gathering of the Faithful, Peoples Choice Concours - Best of Show
2000 - PCA October Fest, Peoples Choice Concours - 1st Place
2014 - Deutsche Marque, Judged Concours d'Elegance - Best of Marque (Porsche) & 1st in Class
2015 - Country Roads Car Club, Judged Concours - 2nd Place to Grand Champion
2015 - Deutsche Marque, Judged Concours d'Elegance - 2nd Place
2016 - Deutsche Marque, Judged Concours d'Elegance - Best of Marque (Porsche)
After seventeen years of ownership, Daniel Rogers sold the 356 SC to its most recent owner, who returned the car to California on July 26, 2016. The new owner continued to enjoy the Irish Green Coupe, and racked up eleven additional Concours wins on the West Coast over his nearly five years of custodianship. Upon arriving at Canepa the 356 was inspected by our world-class technicians, and treated to a full concours-level show detail. Fully documented by both its Kardex and Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and complete with its original tool kit, including the original tire gauge in its leather case, jack, spare wheel, original owners manual, sales brochure, original key fob, his-and-hers period 356 wrist watches, and aforementioned documentation volumes and photographs, it is now ready for it next caretaker to write a new chapter in this wonderful cars history. It is not often that the right car, in the right color, with the best factory options, and meticulously documented history from new presents itself for sale. This is one of those opportunities.
