PICK OF THE DAY: Solid Porsche 356 Pre-A Coupé

In the collector car world, there a few cars as consistently infallible as a Porsche 356, both in terms of their mechanical dependability and their investment reliability. Perhaps the purest among these, the ones that originated in Ferry Porsche’s head, are the pre-A models that were built between its rollout in 1951 and 1956, when the more “modern” 356A was introduced. With all air-cooled Porsches experiencing stratospheric appreciation, the few good examples left will soon be out of reach for all but the Seinfelds and other blue-chip collectors. Today’s example comes from 1954 and while it’s strayed from the original in just about every aspect—color, interior, wheels and motor—it wouldn’t be prohibitive to return the car to its as-born state. With original paint and interior there to match and the location of its original motor known, it would be a relatively easy finish to what is a very good foundation. Otherwise, the car could be kept as is for what appears to be an excellent driver. There are some minor rust issues, but nothing that needs immediate attention. The same goes for the interior blemishes. That it has its original Telefunken radio is a big bonus, regardless of whether it works or not. With not much investment, this could easily be a six-figure car. At the same time, its $85,000 asking price may be a bit strong for its current state, but that could literally change tomorrow at the rate these are climbing. Find it here on The Samba in Edwards CO.