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This is a photo that my parents ran across going through some old files. It was attached to the original bill of sale (just over $4,000) for this vehicle.

It is a photo of my Uncle's pale yellow 1956 super. He ran into an Oak tree mid-December 1956. Looking at the car, you can tell the Oak tree won this encounter. You can see the car seems relatively straight from the A-pillar back. They even got the door open to get him out, but the steering wheel seems to be out of whack.

I'm guessing that the journalists of rural Ojai California weren't into the "shock" journalism of today or probably even well informed about vehicles. They note that my Uncle was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. His "minor" injuries kept him in a coma for over 2 weeks and then a long rehab afterwards. They also mention his "small foreign car." I guess they hadn't seen too many Porsches by then.

After this crash, he bought a graphite metallic 57 normal coupe off the lot at Allred Brothers and took swapped the engines. He then sold the smashed 56 with the brand new 56 normal engine. I currently drive the now-restored graphite 57 with the same 56 super engine (hard to find 40 PICB carbs and all).

Talk about sacrificing yourself so that others may live. I think that little yellow car gave its all so that my Uncle could go on to live another 40+ years.

Cool History, thanks

Ken is being modest. Tell them about ll of your uncle's cars. The one that will never leave the Weidmann family. I wish I had an uncle like yours!

Ken,

Your uncle is a very lucky man. In the battle trees vs. cars, the trees always won !

Incredible story, I'm very happy that you can enjoy again his 356 #2

It has been in the family since new. We have a history to the car and a story to go along with where the engine came from.

It also has bretheren in the 1958 numbers matching speedster that my uncle had in the garage that he gave to my dad a few years ago which we have since restored to original colors.

Adam was kind enough to help out on an article in the regsitry featuring our 2 cars, as well as my mom's 1960 coupe, which we have owned since the 70's.

Next project, is the Model A "Abigail" which lives in the garage next to the speedster and hasn't moved since the early 70's and is all original.

It truly was and is a great story. Three 356s that have been in one family for years and years, and probably will be for many years to come.

Ken was lucky, he got driven around in a 356 as a kid. My mom had a Gremlin, nowhere near as cool as a 356.

I was driven around in a Plymouth Horizon and a station wagon when I was a kid. A 356 was a dream at that point.....