These exceptions in one way or another are misrepresented by using key pieces of another 356 to indicate that the “restored” vehicle is something that it is not. This dishonesty may involve stamping chassis number plates or even a new bulkhead piece with another car’s number, or cutting the main bulkhead chassis stamping out of one car and welding it onto the “new” car. These transgressions include stamping engine serial numbers on to substitute timing case covers to “recreate” a matching-number engine or re-stamping other numbered components. Some of these “restorations” take the opportunity to recreate a higher valued model such as a Convertible D, Speedster, or Carrera from an otherwise ordinary model. These are not clearly identified tribute cars or outlaws, but attempts to misrepresent a car as having been produced as a special model by the factory.
We admire the commitment of owners who have the time and resources to restore their 356 Models to original factory specifications and condition. However, going beyond an honest objective by surreptitiously attempting to recreate a car that was not produced by the factory and thereby mislead future buyers in the interest of creating illegitimate value and profit is not merely deceitful, it is simply fraud.
It is the position of the international Porsche 356 Registry that any restoration of a 356 should generate complete and truthful documentation of the facts and processes of the restoration and that this documentation should faithfully follow changes in a car’s ownership. Individuals interested in buying a restored car – particularly special or high value models – should demand such documentation as a condition of purchase.
Any Porsche 356 that is used and enjoyed as the factory intended requires at least diligent maintenance and perhaps even a full restoration at some point. For those cars that in the judgment of their owners have gone well beyond mere patina, the international Porsche 356 Registry encourages restoration that can then represent the specifications and condition the factory originally produced. However, it is important to the Porsche 356 community that current and future owners can be confident about what their car represents. We also charge restoration work to faithfully disclose the authenticity of the vehicle and major components with honest documentation.