A 1957 Porsche 356A that was completely overhauled and swapped to a bigger custom engine in the 2000s has sold for $328,000 on Bring-a-Trailer this weekend.
Polo Motors designed the power unit specifically for classic Porsche restoration projects. It is based on the standard six-cylinder flat-plane engine that most 911 models ship with, but has only four cylinders and 2.5 liters of displacement. That’s still more than the 1.1 to 2 liters that the original 356A model ever had in stock form. It’s unclear how much it produces, but dual Weber oil carbs, Bosch ignition and oil coolers imply that it’s a lively mill.
A five-speed manual transmission borrowed from the Porsche 901 handles the momentum. To accommodate it, the tuner had to redesign the transmission tunnel in the cabin.
Of course, a restoration like this would never be complete without a new suspension. Polo Motors used a mix between Porsche’s own shocks and struts and Koni aftermarket dampers. Brakes were upgraded to discs all around, power steering was installed, and 15-inch Boyd Coddington wheels made their way into the arches.
You can tell that it’s not a stock 356A by a bespoke engine bay lid, new bumpers and flared rear fenders. The cabin houses modern 911 seats, a Nardi steering wheel, new instruments and a half roll cage. Most surfaces are trimmed with leather.
The listing points out that this specific restomod proceeded to win a bunch of show and beauty contest awards shortly after its creation. This may have contributed to its final selling price of one-third of a million USD.
