Is a Porsche 356 Zagato a 356 Restomod?

Throwback Thursday: An article this week in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) tells the story of a new Porsche 356 Zagato that had only nine versions produced recently.

Is the 356 Zagato Coupe the Singer of 356’s?

According to the WSJ when Zagato designed and built a lightweight, open-bodied 356 for a gentleman racer that died in a racing accident before he took delivery of this special 356 Zagato. The car was then destroyed. Zagato also designed a coupe version but they never built one. The drawings still existed in the archives but no models of a Zagato Coupe were ever built.

Porsche 356 Zagato Coupe | Image Wall Street Journal

Around 2015 Zagato gained approval from Porsche to build nine versions the Zagato Coupe that had never been produced in the late 1950’s. Zagato built these nine coupes in the same manner as they would have built it in the 1950’s.

Zagato used a donor 1959 Porsche 356 and removed the body while retaining the chassis and drivetrain. Zagato craftsmen hand-hammer a new lightweight aluminum body while making the car lower and lighter than a production model Porsche 356. Buyers were able to choose their colors similar to a Singer 911 but few if any options were offered. It took three years to produce the car. Zagato charged about $350,000 per car.

A Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster Zagato modeled after the original Zagato Speedster from 1958

was also produced in a limited run of nine copies. Both the coupe and the Speedster versions were sold immediately. One such model was featured in the Wall Street Journal with its owner.

But, to get back to the original question: Is a 356 Zagato a 356 Restomod?

Singer backdates Porsche 964 giving an early-911 look to an owner with more modern features and safety options. The Zagato 356 on the other hand takes an original 356 chassis and drivetrain and re-bodies it with a handmade coach body. My call: it is a coach-built Porsche 356 with a design from the ‘50s but the craftmenship of 21st century.

Whatever you call it, a Restomod or a Recreation, it is a beautiful car and will get you noticed at any car show or rally with this limited edition Porsche 356.

Link to Wall Street Journal Story on Ownership of a Porsche 356 Zagato Coupe.

Tags: Porsche 356 Zagato, Porsche 356,Porsche 356 Restomod, Porsche Zagato