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Convertible D Exterior Colors
The colors shown are not accurate due to the fact that scanning may alter the colors, computer monitors are not equally calibrated, and the color chart is nearly 60 years old.
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In the book, "Porsche 356 Defined, A Pictorial Guide", Dr. Brett Johnson, writes: "Colors were reportedly limited to Ruby Red, Meissen Blue, Ivory and Silver Metallic." 1 At right is shown a factory Color Chart dated 11.58 2, just after Convertible D production began. The Chart corroborates Johnson's research. It includes colors for Coupe, Cabriolet, and Convertible (meaning the D model). Hardtop colors for the Cabriolet are also included on the brochure's front cover. In the section of the chart titled "Convertible" it lists interior colors together with the four standard colors for the Convertible D. They are 5702 (Ruby Red), 5703 (Meissen Blue), 5704 (Ivory), and 5706 (Silver Metallic). Note that even in late 1958 the color numbers are prefaced by the number 57 and continued through 1959.
However, it was also well documented that for an additional cost, one could order a 356 painted in "your choice of color", not normally used in production. The Porsche Accessories brochure, dated February, 1959, for the (late) 356-A lists the following:
300. Special Paint, as offered in the color chart.
301. Special Paint, not offered in the color chart. 2
The book, Porsche Speedster Typ 540: Quintessential Sports Car, Heinrichs, et al, lists all of the Speedster and Convertible D VINs by engine type and color codes. They also provided a chart showing that all 1,330* production Convertible Ds were painted in the standard four colors, except for 32** which were painted in 13 other special-order colors, some taken from the upcoming new 1960 model colors.
1st Note: In the book's Appendix 2, pages 207 and 238, paint #s 5707 & 707 were listed erroneously as "Aquamarine metallic". They should be written as "Aquamarine Blue" — a non-metallic paint. Paint #s 5607 & 607 were "Aquamarine Blue Metallic" — a paint for the 356 models produced in 1956.
2nd Note: The book also listed eight Conv. Ds as being painted with #5713 Glacier White, however one of the authors made these corrections after looking again at the factory production list: Six of these eight Ds are individually listed as being painted with "Weiss" or White aka 1954-55 "Speedster White"! The other two are listed as being painted "Signal Red"! The book lists one D as painted #5711 Orange, however the production list states it was painted code #2002 "Blutorange" or Blood Orange!
Here is the breakdown from the book by paint code number, color and number produced with all color errors corrected: 3:
|
Paint Code * |
Color |
No. of Convertible Ds Produced |
| 5706 Enamel |
Silver Metallic |
376 |
| 5702 Enamel |
Ruby Red |
341 |
| 5704 Enamel |
Ivory |
341 |
| 5703 Enamel |
Meissen Blue |
241 |
| 603 Enamel |
White ("Speedster White") |
6 |
| 5701 Enamel |
Black |
6 |
| 740 Enamel |
Aetna Blue (1 Carrera eng.) |
3 |
| 743 Enamel |
Condor Yellow |
2 |
| D Enamel |
Fern Green |
2 |
| 739 Enamel |
Heron Gray |
2 |
| 742 Enamel |
Royal Blue |
2 |
| 601? Enamel |
Signal Red |
2 |
| 741 Enamel |
Slate Gray |
2 |
| 705 Enamel |
Fjord Green |
1 |
| C Enamel |
Light Gray (Carrera eng.) |
1 |
| 707 Enamel |
Aquamarine Blue |
1 |
| 2002 Enamel |
Blood Orange |
1 |
| Unknown |
Unknown |
1 |
|
Total: |
1,331* |
Note: The four "Special Paint" colors offered on the 1957-1959 factory color chart were never originally painted on Convertible Ds: #5710 Stone Grey, #5711 Orange, #5712 Auratium Green and #5713 Glacier White. However, some current D owners have repainted their cars those colors.
1. Johnson, Dr. Brett, Porsche 356 Defined, A Pictorial Guide (Beeman Jorgensen, Inc., 1996), p. 80.
2. White, Charlie, DerWhite's 356 Porsche Factory Accessories, 1956-1965, (DerWhite Productions, Phoenix, AZ, 2004)
3. Heinrichs, Marinello, Perrin, Raskin, Stoddard and Zingg, Porsche Speedster Typ 540: Quintessential Sports Car (Big Lake Media, Inc., 2004), pp. 207-239.
* According to the 2005 book: Speedster 50th Anniversary: Celebration Of An Icon, co-author Steve Heinrichs writes, "Subsequent research has determined that there was...one more Convertible D." On 356TALK Jan. 15, 2006, Heinrichs mentioned that the additional Conv. D #5601, replacement chassis' color is unknown.
** Additional research by Mr. Heinrichs in 2006 indicates that there was only one Aquamarine Blue (#707) Convertible D, instead of two, giving a total of 32 special-order painted Ds and one more Ivory (#5704) D.
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