The Official 356Talk Forum

Richard Zarbo wrote:Are you sure this is Drauz. I have it in my files as D'Ieteren Freres, Belgium.

Richard - I really don't know - I downloaded this from the internet some time ago and it may have had this file name already, or I mistakenly labeled it.

Moving a finished body from the Reutter factory to the Porsche final assembly hall

Credit: John Christian picture when collecting his car in June of 1961

One of my favorites. But I'm not sure if it's at Porsche or BASF.

This was the Factory, 1965 visit.

Isn't it amazing how small their 'assembly line' is!

Hello Richard. Those are single grill, so likely Drauz

D'Ieteren also built single-grill roadsters.

Adam
Not Porsche or BASF..... it is Heinkel, they built 904 bodies.
See the airplane tail in the background?
KTF
John

So, here's the low down on Roadsters produced in Belgium by coach builder D'Ieteren Freres (anciens etablissements d'ieteren freres).

D'Ieteren began making the single grill T5 roadster in March 1961 and produced 472 of them through September 1961. This comprised less than 18% of the total 2649 single grill roadsters made, the balance produced by Drauz from 1959 to March 1961. D'Ieteren then commenced to produced the final run of 248 T6 twin grill roadsters into 1962. Then no more roadsters. Just cabriolets.

The image is of the D'Ieteren factory line producing single grill roadsters.

I have the same image from D'Ieteren's history, a Christophorus article and our own 356 Registry publication in 1998. The latter is attached.

Case closed . Gotta love the internet!

Here's Christophorus

I learn something every day!

I believe D'letern built 49 of the single grille roadsters and the rest were 2 grille roadsters, think I read that somewhere
stand to be corrected

Guys,
According to my Belgian wife, D'Ieteren still exists.
Check out: https://www.dieteren.com/

FYI, some incorrectly pronounce D'Ieteren...there is no "L" in the name.
Should sound kind-of like "Dee-ee-tare-en".

Mike DeJonge wrote:I believe D'letern built 49 of the single grille roadsters and the rest were 2 grille roadsters, think I read that somewhere
stand to be corrected

According to the article above (which is a real eye test to read) quoting Roland D'Ieteren,
"In 1961, we assembled 657 Roadsters and in 1962, 87. The total amount thus, 744."
So, if 744 total were built and 248 are twin grill, they built almost 500 single grill cars.