It was March 12, 1960 when Captain John T. Cox signed the purchase contract for this Porsche 356 B T5 Cabriolet. This is also the start of the adventure of this beautiful example and the impeccable history that comes with the car. John T. Cox was stationed in Germany and ordered the car from Gross kloss in Saarbrucken. According to the indication, the car was delivered around May. As befits a real senior army officer, the Captain kept an impeccable logbook of the Porsche. Every receipt of every repair and maintenance service was neatly kept in a folder. The Captain was stationed in Japan at one point, of course his Porsche went with him, all the records of this are also present. It is an image that continues with this beautiful Porsche 356 B T5 Reuter Cabriolet. The car has not only been perfectly maintained from the first day up to and including today, but has also been delivered ex-factory in a beautiful color scheme. The car is painted in the timelessly beautiful “Hell Elfenbein” and has a red leather interior. The convertible top is finished in black and completes the extremely attractive picture. The car eventually remained in the possession of the first owner until 2019, when it was then sold to the second owner in the Netherlands, who had the car fully restored by a specialist before it was brought from the United States to the Netherlands. The result is one of the very best Porsche 356 B Cabriolet’s on the market, with an impeccable history of which you can certainly not find a second.
The bodywork looks perfect. All sheet metal parts are original and fit perfectly everywhere. The bumpers are in top condition, as is the lighting. The paint has been completely repainted, this work was also carried out at a top level. The convertible top is in new condition and is made of beautiful material. The hood is of course easy to operate and fits perfectly everywhere. The car is on the original wheels which are fitted with the original chrome hubcaps. Both the wheels and the hubcaps were repainted during the restoration in the original color scheme, this can be deduced from the Reuter folder that is present with the car. This document may be seen as an extra on top of the Porsche birth certificate. The materials and paints used are all specified with a code and can therefore be checked. Everything and everything is right about this car.
The interior is of course no exception. The seats have been completely reupholstered with the original leather on the seats and the carpets have also been completely renewed based on the original. The dashboard has been completely repainted to factory specification and all instruments and controls have also been renewed and are in top condition. It is wonderful to see what a new Porsche 356B must have looked like in 1960. We have often seen restored Porsches pass by, but the level of work carried out here is rarely achieved.
The technology is exactly the same story. The technology of the Porsche may be known as very robust and simple in design, but to do everything just right still proves very difficult. The 1.6 liter four-cylinder boxer engine produces 75 hp and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The engine is still the original and the transmission has also been completely overhauled. The brakes and chassis were completely renewed during the restoration and are also in top condition. The car drives wonderfully. There is no play in the steering box, the poker shifts exactly and the engine hangs wonderfully on the gas. The car not only looks like new, but also functions as such.
The documentation has been discussed extensively at the beginning of this story and needs no further explanation. Everything that came with a Porsche is there, every receipt has been preserved, from the first deposit to the last service and everything in between. Isn’t it fantastic to know that this Porsche has seen more of the world than almost any ordinary citizen and yet is still in perfect condition thanks to two extremely careful owners? It can hardly be a coincidence. This is a car for the serious Porsche collector. An enthusiast who appreciates perfect originality and a sublime overall picture.
