Front bench seat

[Sal Gallucci]

My 60' S90 was born with a bench front seat with a little notched out area in the seat for the shifter. Does any one know any history of the bench front seat? I have not seen any with them other than this one. I have heard every 1000th 356 made came with a front bench seat. Is this a true fact?
Thanks.
Sal

[Geoff Fleming]

One of the many, many options Porsche offered it's customers. Not sen too often but they are out there.

[Doug McDonnell]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=26933 In this link Jim from EASY says he was told only 275 bench seats.

[Sal Gallucci]

Doug - Thanks for sharing the link to the bench seats. Do you know how can I find out the total # of bench seat made?

[Doug McDonnell]

No idea. You would have to have a very helpful "Deep Throat " contact at Porsche. I do know that there was/is an A sunroof here in Kalamazoo with bench seat. I remember seeing it for sale at one point in the mid 80s. Owned by the owner of an Outlet called MrB's Outlet. We locals tried to reach out to him when we formed a local group but he never responded. On a long shot you could contact Marco @Elevenparts in Zurich. He seems to have good contacts. I think Adam also has a source at Porsche. 76303 is a number I have seen for total 356 production. If only 275 were bench seats then that would be one bench seat per 277 cars. But I have also seen 77895 as total number. http://autoeclub.com/porsche-356-manufactured-stats.htm If you use the figures from this link and subtract T6 and C production since Jim B said no T6 cars had bench seats then one of every 164 cars produced through T5 had a bench seat. Hypothetical of course. Perhaps one of the more knowledgable members has access to more info.

[Sal Gallucci]

I will keep researching and follow up if I make some progress. Do you know the approximate value of a bench seat?

[Doug McDonnell]

No idea but I would guess they are seldom for sale and would be sought after only by someone needing a bench seat for Kardex correct restoration. I have only had T6 and C/SC cars. Rare part for them is the Parking Brake switch that actuates the parking brake idiot light. I am pretty sure it was only on C/SC cars, but maybe T6B also?

[Sal Gallucci]

I sent the email to Marco. I will post, if I have success. Thanks.

[Doug McDonnell]

Jim @ EASY or Adam @ Unobtainium may know worth. Jim doesn't do email you have to call him.

[James Watters]

I had a bench seat in my 1964C cab that I owned about 20 years ago.

[Al Zim]

I acquired a front seat from Europe and had it restored unfortunately I was not astute enough to have it done in Leather. With the special seat rails and holding fixtures I think this is a 10K++ seat. Zim's has seen a set in a speedster. My set has the notch for the gearshift, al zim

[Mike Horton]

Al, all, when I was a "pup", a student at Texas Tech, in the '60s, there was a girl, who drove her Dad's sunroof A coupe, with said bench seat for a semester, or two, then, it was gone. For a while, my '57 T1 was the only 356 on campus, and then, a professor showed up, with the ugliest green '59 sunroof coupe I'd ever seen, which was said to have come from Mexico. After a while, he had it painted silver, with plaid seat coverings, in red, & grey, IIRC, and when the original Super engine failed, he bought one of those near new Industrial engines Gene Berg found, and marketed. (a walk down memory lane)

[Victor Ingram]

Love the bench seat, now the car seats 3 and 1/2, 55 Cabriolet!

[Sal Gallucci]

Really Nice!

[Vincent Vuong]

Here's a Pre A one.