1954 Porsche 356 Pre-A Cabriolet
- Engine
- 1.5L Type 546 flat-four
- Colour
- 'Pascha Red'
A 1954 Porsche 356 'Pre-A' Cabriolet fitted with the desirable Type 546 1500cc engine and clothed in Reutter coachwork, originally delivered in Pascha Red over Beige leather to US importer Max Hoffman in New York. Its American history is unrecorded, but the car later surfaced in Italy in 1989 and participated in Italian rallies during the 1990s. A comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration was carried out in 2017 by craftsman Albert Haefner, returning the car to factory-correct specification.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €158,700 (≈ $175K)
- 1954-03-04 →Factory deliveryMax Hoffman (US importer)partial documentation
Car shipped new to Hoffman's New York operation; subsequent US history is undocumented.
- 1989-12-01 →Italian owner registered December 1989partial documentation
Car arrived in Italy finished in silver with dark-blue interior; during this ownership it was returned to the original factory colour scheme and entered in Italian rallies through the 1990s.
- → 2017Acquisition unknownBelgian-registered ownerpartial documentation
Car was registered in Belgium; commissioned a thorough nut-and-bolt restoration by craftsman Albert Haefner in 2017, including bare-metal repaint and engine rebuild, with photographic documentation on file.
- 2023 →Acquisition unknownCurrent consignorpartial documentation
Arranged a specialist service at Tower Porsche in London in August 2024, covering steering-box adjustment, spark-plug renewal, and four-wheel alignment.
Competition
- —Italian rallies (various)
Car participated in multiple Italian rally events during the 1990s following its restoration to factory colours.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1989Bodywork
Car was repainted in silver with a navy-blue interior trim, deviating from its original factory specification.
Work carried out around the time of Italian registration; no named restorer recorded.
- 2017RestorationAlbert Haefner
Full nut-and-bolt restoration by Albert Haefner: bodywork stripped to bare metal and refinished in correct factory colour, engine fully rebuilt. Extensive photographic documentation is held on file.
Car was registered in Belgium at the time of this restoration.
- 2024ServiceTower Porsche
Routine service including steering box adjustment, new spark plugs, and four-wheel alignment.
Carried out by a London-based Porsche specialist on behalf of the current owner.
- —Restoration
Car was returned to its factory-correct colour scheme of Pascha Red over Beige leather following the silver repaint period.
Undated; occurred after Italian registration in December 1989 and before the 1990s rally participation.
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