DFW Car & Toy Museum Acquires 1960 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, Highlighting Automotive Heritage

The DFW Car & Toy Museum has enhanced its collection with a 1960 Porsche 356B 1600S Cabriolet, a vehicle that embodies the refined styling and spirited performance characteristic of Porsche's early production models. This acquisition from The Ron Sturgeon Collection showcases the enduring appeal of air-cooled Porsche engineering, with the car finished in Ivory over blue leather after a comprehensive refurbishment that included refinishing from its original silver color prior to 2001. The T5 body, introduced for the 1960 model year, features design updates such as raised bumpers and headlights, along with a redesigned front trunk lid handle, marking a pivotal evolution in Porsche's first production model that bridges early 356 designs with later developments.

Under the hood, this elegant convertible is powered by a 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four engine equipped with dual Zenith carburetors, factory-rated for the higher-output "S" specification. Paired with a four-speed manual transaxle, the drivetrain delivers a pure and engaging driving experience that remains central to the 356's legendary charm, captivating automotive enthusiasts with its mechanical simplicity and responsiveness decades after its creation. The cabin complements this performance with striking blue leather upholstery, a Moto-Lita wood-rimmed steering wheel, and a Becker-style dashboard layout, featuring green-letter VDO gauges including a 120-mph speedometer, 5,000-rpm tachometer, and a combination gauge for monitoring fuel level and oil temperature. The five-digit odometer, repaired in 2009, currently shows 14,000 miles, adding to the vehicle's documented history and preservation story.

Ron Sturgeon, founder of the DFW Car & Toy Museum, emphasizes the cultural significance of this acquisition, stating that the Porsche 356B 1600S connects generations as part sculpture and part sports car, capturing the spirit of open-top European motoring in its most elegant form. The museum, now located in North Fort Worth at 2550 McMillan Parkway, provides a permanent home for this automotive artifact, where it can be appreciated by visitors and enthusiasts, with more information about the collection and hours available at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com. As one of the earliest and most collectible Porsche models, the 356B Cabriolet stands as a testament to precision craftsmanship and timeless design, highlighting the importance of preserving automotive heritage while making it accessible to the public.

This vehicle represents not just a specific moment in Porsche's history but also the broader cultural significance of mid-century European sports car design and the enduring passion of automotive enthusiasts worldwide. Its inclusion in the museum's collection underscores the role of such institutions in safeguarding and showcasing pivotal pieces of automotive history, ensuring that future generations can experience and learn from these engineering and design milestones. The acquisition reinforces the museum's commitment to celebrating automotive artistry and innovation, offering a tangible connection to the past that inspires appreciation for the evolution of automotive technology and style.