1959 Porsche 356A Outlaw

This 356 A is one of the best Outlaw cars that we have ever seen. The vision of an owner with a talent for bespoke engineering, it has been put together, enhanced and maintained by the best names in the business. The mechanical specification means that is goes just as well as it looks, with a quality of execution rarely seen, even in the best restorations.

The car was originally built as a hot rod by respected 356 specialist Roger Bray and running gear by Maxted-Page & Prill. Over £100,000 was spent and the finished car was very smart – we remember admiring it at that time.

The owner bought the car in 2012, having been put off a build in California by Rod Emory by the waiting list. Ultimately, he says that his desire was to make the car go more like a 911 but without sacrificing the aesthetics of a 356.

There is so much detail to the build and that is set out in full in the car’s brochure.

The most obvious highlight is the 2.5 litre four-cylinder “Polomotor”, made by Dean Polopolus in California. With an estimated 200bhp, the engine is in a sensible state of tune and beautifully torquey. Commensurate with the power increase, other mechanical aspects of the 356 have been upgraded as well. A Polopolus modified 5 speed Porsche 901 gearbox has been fitted, along with various Carrera GT components including front brakes, long range fuel tank, oil tank and oil cooling system. Mechanical work on the car has been undertaken by well-respected classic Porsche specialists Jaz in London.

Cosmetically the current owner has developed the car externally to look like an early 356 Carrera GT. It has been fitted with Carrera GT front and rear bumpers, an aluminium bonnet and aluminium louvred engine lid. It also sits on a set of very special aluminium rimmed steel centred wheels. The rear lights have been backdated to the attractive “beehive” design from the 356 T1 and the rear number plate illumination has been removed. All body work and paint has been completed by the world-renowned 356 experts Sportwagen in Essex.

The overall impression is of a car with many years of development. Certainly, it is rare to find a car that has been so thoughtfully detailed and finished. The overall result resolves function with aesthetics extremely successfully and will appeal to anyone with an appreciation of early Porsche design.