Pros and Cons: Real vs Replica 356s

[FLY_DMY]

@ 808OvalGreasemonkey and sjs356 great responses! Not sure myself what causes the disdain for the replica car and their owner's either. I am a 356 RepliCar owner myself and I do Car Shows here in Texas and consistently walk away with 1st place trophies, and in the Open car class that is somewhat of a statement, since your competition is American muscle cars, sometimes Blown, SuperCharged, or otherwise highly-modified. That always makes me chuckle a bit "an vintage import car that takes the trophy in muscle car country", but it humbles me too - the judges and fans alike love the lines of the car and the work I have done to keep her period correct! At these shows I have a card on the windshield that pays homage to the history of Porsche' first production sports car and their founding father's (Ferdinand and son Ferry) and is a tribute to the car (the 356) that next to the Beetle was revolutionary in automobile history, and a further tribute to this Father/Son team.

I have always gravitated to German technology, having owned several Mercedes SL class roadsters, a Phoebus (German airplane), and now the Speedster (also completely German engineered from engine to chassis to VDO gauges to '59 auto club badges on the rear grill). I am enjoying this car as much or more than any German convertible I have ever owned, no heat, no air-conditioning, no power-steering, no problem, don't even miss it.

Like someone said in earlier post, better engineered than the original, better handling, better tires, better skid pad rating, better power-to-weight ratio, better balanced, better braking, nuff said??? ...and you can drive this car!!!

Not exactly a tribute to the car, but rather the benefit of technology.

I have done several car shows alongside $350,000 1958 356 A's, once the show was over they loaded the vehicle back on the flatbed and drove it back to their garage for static display, beautiful car don't get me wrong - but it might as well be a museum display piece.

And people that scoff at my "Kit Car" or "Replica", let me remind you, the cars parts are only roughly 10 years outside of replica date of 1959, so any way you wish to slice it, it is an old (or vintage) German car. ...and for all you Porsche purists - let me also remind you that your "pure" Porsche was born a Volkswagen! So I sure hope you are paying homage to VW as part of your heritage, which would lead me to my next question... "Who's your Daddy???" Just as Ferdinand was Ferry's dad, so too was VW to Porsche.

Why can't we all drive and appreciate German vehicles, and share in their greatness, this is not Black and White, we are all members of the human race, and these vehicles "folks" are simply contribution from German technology, Enjoy driving them, or park them and stare, eithe rway, to each his own"."
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[oliver365]

well put sir

[roy mawbey]

The reason why you win the prizes is all down to Kommenda. Without that design, I reckon most of our 356 cars would have faded away along with the rust years ago.

Sure the originals had the ability to win races and have some very nice fifties engineering in them but, without the looks would they have survived to be usually admired by so many?

I agree, the nicest of the reps can look fantastic, and no doubt, drive really well. So I would be happy to have one up my drive.

I drive my 356 the whole year through but, only on dry days. I wonder if I had paid a figure close to those I tend to see all the time now, if that would still be the case. I only paid £450- and all in, after 45 years the total expenditure including the cost of the car is still under £5,000.

Directly cars become investments because bank interest rates are low then it must change a lot of peoples attitudes so they don't get used on the roads so much.

I wonder what Kommenda who passed in the mid sixties would have thought to have seen his great design still going strong so many years later?

Roy
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Roy
RHD356A super75 106954

[Jon Schmid]