1953 356 Pre-A Cabriolet

The 356 Pre-A Cabriolet represents the earliest evolution of Porsche’s “production” open-top sports car. Compared to the earlier split and bent-window cars, the final Pre-As featured a curved one-piece windshield, improved interior refinement, and more developed bodywork while still retaining the delicate styling and lightweight feel of the original cars. Produced in relatively small numbers, the Pre-A Cabriolets have a rawness and simplicity that later 356s gradually moved away from, making them some of the most charming and collectible early Porsches today.

This 1953 356 Pre-A Cabriolet was purchased by its current owner back in 1965 and underwent a bare-metal rotisserie restoration during the 1990s, at which time it was refinished in its original shade of Strawberry with a Gray convertible top. The interior was reupholstered in the late 2000s with Black leather covering the bucket seats and fold-down rear bench. Power came from a replacement 1.6-liter flat-four sourced from a 356B during the restoration, while recent work in January 2026 included rebuilding the twin Zenith carburetors, refurbishing the fuel system, and cleaning the fuel lines. Though an older restoration, the car still appeared to present exceptionally well and was accompanied by restoration photos along with its disassembled original engine.

Over the past twelve months, only one other Pre-A Cabriolet has crossed the block here in the U.S., a Silver example that failed to sell at $175,000 last November. Looking a bit further back, a Continental Cabriolet brought $187,600* in August 2024, while another sold for $246,400* in August 2023. Our Spotlight Car topped them all, selling at a final bid of $305,000, a number we haven’t seen since 2021. A great result for a beautiful car out of long-term ownership.

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