Hemmings Find of the Day: Rare Porsche 356 Prototype hits the market

Update: Although the seller bills this car as a Porsche, Porsche historians note that it was never claimed to be a genuine Porsche and is in fact based on a VW chassis. That said...

The Porsche 356 holds a special place amongst the ranks of historic automobiles. As one of the first vehicles to wear the Porsche badge after World War II, this car has direct ties to the model that would forever define the German maker of fine sportscars. That, of course, is the iconic 911.

Collectors, take note: one of two early 356 prototypes is now up for sale, located in New York. We wonder, would that make this a 355? No, probably not. Looking over pictures of the car, it's clear to see the shape that would eventually turn into the classic 356 as well as the expected air-cooled powerplant sitting aft of the cockpit and driving the rear wheels.

Notable features that didn't make it to the production car include the front grille that directs cooling air to the rear-mounted engine and the head lamps that are sunk into the bodywork on either side. No price is listed on this particular sale, but we certainly wouldn't expect it to be sold without a large sum of money changing hands. Check out the high-res images below and click here for the car's description from the seller.

[Source: Hemmings Auto Blog]