1962 Porsche 356

This particular 356B T6 comes to us courtesy of our founder.

Obviously, we know him very well and can vouch for his good standing in all things automotive, transactional or, indeed, any other respect.

He bought this car in the first place in 2021 because it was exceptional and had all the right history and provenance. It was then immediately used in RAC Rally of the Tests where it was one of only a couple of 356s that actually completed the event, running without fault in one of the hardest historic rallies.

He has since spent many thousands of pounds adding to its appeal and capability.

Manufactured in October 1962, this late left-hand drive Porsche 356B coupé was delivered new to Colorado, USA.

This car was later imported by Roger Bray for restoration. It was selected as a good shell basis for a rally car project and was ground-up restored and converted for this eventual use, over the period June 1990 to June 1993 by Roger Bray Restorations.

A well-known car in the rally world, ‘Bumble’ has participated in many events including the Classic Marathon, Rallye des Alpes, Rallye des Isles, Liège-Rome-Liège and Three Castles.

It is equipped with a competition fuel tank, oil cooler, 12-volt conversion, period rally seats, full harness belts, fire extinguisher, head sets, comprehensive roll cage and GT-style louvred grille plus everything else that is needed to compete in the top historic rallies.

The car has competed in the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique on numerous occasions (count the stickers), including recently.

Viewed from any angle, this is a seriously impressive-looking car.

The decals, bonnet straps, towing eyes, isolator switches and abundance of rally stickers leave you in no doubt about this car’s purpose and function.

The silver and yellow paintwork (we’re guessing that this is where the ‘Bumble’ moniker comes from) looks pretty fresh and glossy throughout.

The doors, frunk and engine cover close with satisfyingly Teutonic accuracy.

All badging, lights, lenses, decals and the many and various exterior fixtures and fittings looks to be in good order, as do the wheels and the set of Michelin Alpin tyres currently on the car (more about the spares package later).

Although the vendor addressed some minor bodywork issues a couple of years ago at a cost of £3,500 there is a little nascent bubbling showing itself in a couple of areas.

There are two or three bubbles under the paint on the bodywork adjacent to the frunk lid, a small patch of discoloured silver paint on the engine cover, a small spot of bubbling at the base of the o/s/r wing ahead of the wheel arch and in the base of the adjacent door. But it’s all very minor and an easy fix if you wanted to make perfect.

The lights, lenses and badging are all in very fine fettle.

Those minor quibbles aside, it’s all really very good indeed.

Clearly, given the nature of the beast, the interior is pretty spartan, functional and built for purpose.

The black and white check fabric seats add a touch of period Porsche style to the interior ambience.

Everything else is there in the service of rallying – roll cage, harnesses, plumbed-in extinguisher system, and a dashboard that’s fair bristling with the latest rally-spec switchgear, toggles, buttons, dials, navigation lights and instruments including Brantz dash mounted rally meters and stopwatch with remote buttons for both.

The vendor tells us that everything does what it’s supposed to do without hesitation, deviation or repetition.

The door cards, headlining, carpets and mats are all good. 

Some of the interior rubber seals and trim is buckled and warped in places.

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The original engine was re-built and rally prepared by Barry Curtis, with NPR cylinders and pistons added, increasing the engine capacity to 1720 cc.

A competition clutch and an oil cooler were also fitted.

Other additions and modifications include a roll cage, GT fuel tank , 356C disc brakes, conversion to 12 volt, fitted period Halda, Autostorica period rally seats, plumbed-in fire extinguishers, ignition cut outs, louvered engine lid , full harness belts, Spyder mirror – to name but a few.

In 1992 the car was the subject of a 'ground upwards' bare shell rebuild by Roger Bray Restorations using the original matching-number engine, which had been up-rated to 1,720cc and, today, produces a very healthy, 141bhp at the dyno.

‘Bumble’ was looked after by renowned marque specialist Andy Prill for a decade and everything that was necessary for keeping the car in 'A1' condition has been done.

In 2013 the car went through an extensive recommissioning to international rally standards by Gant Speed Engineering.

It has since had much more work carried out by Gant Speed and JAZ with many tens of thousands of pounds spent.

The engine was last rebuilt in 2017, and the car had a full service, including balancing the carbs, in 2024.

The engine bay looks clean, tidy and possessed of plenty of modern, upgraded components.

The undersides of the car look to us to have plenty of structural integrity – nothing we saw has given us any occasion to tut or frown.

This car comes with more history than the Parthenon, and it took two of us to carry the boxes of paperwork and photos upstairs back at HQ.

There are invoices, bills and receipts covering the myriad episodes of upgrading, tweaking, honing and fettling that this car has enjoyed over the course of its long and, in rallying circles, rather famous life.

There are also many letters, photographs and notes between mechanics, restorers and owners over the years, all of which together make this car’s life story both comprehensive and fascinating

Vitally, it has FIVA eligibility, as evidenced by the expired FIVA identity cards in the history and it would be very easy to get an up to date passport.

A large collection of spares - including three sets of wheels, snow tyres, spikes, Rally Spares packs etc - is available by separate negotiation.

The vendor thinks that the car has probably had well in excess of £200,000 spent on its evolutionary journey from a 356 B to a fully-fledged, proven rally car.

We can well believe it.

We think it’s the nature of that evolutionary journey that makes it so very special and such an impressive performer.

Why?

Because, from the first time it ever took part in a rally, lessons were learned, and improvements and enhancements were introduced for the next outing.

After each competitive run the car was given a shakedown and notes were compared on how to make it even better in the future.

And this car has competed in a lot of rallies, which means it’s spent a long, long time getting continuously better, either by leaps or smaller increments.

It’s a fabulous thing and its next owner will no doubt have a great deal of fun with it whether they want to enter their next rally or just use on the road.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £70,000 - £80,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.