RHD 356s - how many?

[356Monkey]

Does anyone know how many right hand drive 356's have survived in the uk? I know there must also be RHD examples in other countries like Australia but was curious. I've never seen any data published on the LHD / RHD split, including years and years of reading porsche post.

[roy mawbey]

As far as I recall the RHD versions accounted to around 5% of the production as you say UK, S.Africa, and Australia probably took most of them.

https://porsche356registry.org/article/244

You can see here on the link just under 79,000 356 cars were built. From what I can gather that makes around 4,000 RHD sold. I might be wrong its only what I have read.

Of the cars delivered to the UK a fast percentage were rusted out by the late 60's. I looked at cars in the 60's that were ready for scrapping then. Sure these days many would have been saved but then not the case. Mine is only still running because I realised what would happen if I drove it on wet roads all the time. My other daily 356 is also still on the road over 40 years after I sold it then needing rust repairs but it must have cost the new owner in the mid 70's a lot of cash.

Now I make a big guess at RHD cars left in the UK. I think its probably under 100 cars. A lot of LHD versions have arrived over here but its quite rare to see a RHD one these days.

Don't take anything as gospel others might have more factual knowledge.

Roy

[356Monkey]

Thanks Roy, I think your guesses are likely to be pretty close. I wonder if Porsche have the production stats for left and right hand drive numbers? I know they knew which hand each car was so presumably the data is there. Thanks again

[oldtimer]

Does anyone know how many right hand drive 356's have survived in the uk? I know there must also be RHD examples in other countries like Australia but was curious. I've never seen any data published on the LHD / RHD split, including years and years of reading porsche post.

AFN were the UK distributor and I understand that about 1200 RHD cars were supplied through them .

How many UK survivors ???

I would think no more than 30% have survived . The 356 was (is!!!) very rust prone and expensive to fix eg costed more than car was worth.

How many UK cars still in use ( not mouldering out of sight in barns garages workshops sheds etc ) ?

A good turn out for Porsche Club GB (PCGB) at a 356 event is 25-30 cars , not 100% RHD though , lets say 70% of those that turn up are RHD ......which gives only about 20 RHD cars that turn up to be counted at PCGB events . It is tempting to apply an 80:20 rule to this and say there might be 100 cars out there still being used , that is only about 8% of the 1200 imported.

The guys on this forum who probably can best answer are Mike ( Smith) and Hendrik ( Moulds).....

[Disco]

I have a RHD.. nice to be a 1%ter

[POR68]

I also have an original RHD delivered in Australia. Still in original paint and trim and rust free. There is a new book coming out soon on RHD cars, by Mike and Hendrik. Most of the answers should be there I would have thought.

[left4dead]

I've one in my garage (not owned by me, unfortunately).

[Ashley James]

I’ve got a left hand drive car in the paint shop where it has been opened up to look for rust and found to be remarkably free of it.

It’s an American import and one that hasn’t seen salt, but it is interesting to compare its likelihood of rusting with Brit equivalents. There is no comparison really, it’s far better designed, painted and treated. The underside is smooth, there are few nooks and crannies and everything is heavily undersealed. Trouble is bitumen based underseals don’t work and neither did seam sealers of the day.

The speak as someone who’s spent a fortune restoring old Brit cars.

With apologies for digressing.

[oldtimer]

I’ve got a left hand drive car in the paint shop where it has been opened up to look for rust and found to be remarkably free of it.

It’s an American import and one that hasn’t seen salt, but it is interesting to compare its likelihood of rusting with Brit equivalents. There is no comparison really, it’s far better designed, painted and treated. The underside is smooth, there are few nooks and crannies and everything is heavily undersealed. Trouble is bitumen based underseals don’t work and neither did seam sealers of the day.

The speak as someone who’s spent a fortune restoring old Brit cars.

With apologies for digressing.

Don't apologise Ashley , that is relevant information . The survival rate for US cars at a guess is more like 60% for old Porsches , based on how early 911s have fared .

My own relevant information - I bought a private sale secondhand 356B S90 in 1968, UK car first registered Jan 63 , so less than 6 years old. It had already been repainted in a dark blue ( original Dolphin Grey which was like ivory ) probably to hide exterior rust . The y shape cross member at front was gone , sills were gone , front clip round headlamp bowls and airhorn grilles was gone ( mud traps ). I paid £670 for it thinking I could DIY the visible blemishes. At that time I could have bought a secondhand 1959 356A Normal from AFN Isleworth with more evident rust (!) for less , salesman described it as 'OK for knocking around in '

That original 356B S90 is still on the road , so someone bit the bullet on replacement metal - I gave up in the early 80's !

[mrg3.6]

With my RHD Oz 356a still steaming across the Indian Ocean, it would be interesting to know how many 356's (RHD & LHD) we have within the DDK family?

Thx
Martin

[mycar]

I for one have one.

[mycar]

A RHD that is.

[slipslide]

I have a rhd 60 b, afn supplied that I'm working on.

[POR68]

As mentioned above, I believe that Hendrik and Mike's new book covers much of this. In Australia, Geoff Starkey compiled an extensive history of the RHD deliveries here in 2011. Estimates were that around 500 were sold as RHD in Aust and that about 75% survive. Sales of individual models here don't reflect the patterns elsewhere, with the BT6 being among the smallest group (44). Economic conditions at the time are cited as a major factor, with the car equalling the cost of a metropolitan house at the time.

[Hendrik Moulds]

I've had a few over the years too.
As to how many are left, impossible to say as although quite a few attend shows like Hedingham, there are many that don't. For example, although my first 356 (an AFN RHD '62) still exists as a running driving order I've never seen it since I sold it.