My Father's 1952 Coupe

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James Davies
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#16 Post by James Davies »

Eric Marshall Green wrote:Thought you Pre-A guys might enjoy these. My father took these photos so please credit Marshall Green.
Cool photos Eric! Thanks for sharing.

Any dates or locations written on the back of the photo? The first photo looks like it was taken at a place like Watkins Glen or Elkhart Lake in 1951? Notice the dealer plate. The 2nd one with the late export bumpers looks to have Hella sealed beam lenses on it, which means it is probably one of the 150xx cars from ~Aug 1952.

Martin Bruechle
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#17 Post by Martin Bruechle »

Great site you did.
quantumrun356.com

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Vic Skirmants
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#18 Post by Vic Skirmants »

Sebastian Gaeta wrote:
Eric Marshall Green wrote:So, what year?
I'l say 1956 since the rocker panels are not curved like the pre-A.
I agree.

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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#19 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

I agree with 1956 as well. It's the back cover of a Porsche magazine. I'll go look.
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Trevor Gates
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#20 Post by Trevor Gates »

Or early 57...


Eric - Great pictures on your website! Here are two that caught my eye:

The first one is of an America Roadster. I don't know the VIN, maybe someone else here will.
The second pic is of Porsche Glockler #2. May I re-post this Glockler picture in the Facebook group for Porsche Glocklers?
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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#21 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

Trevor, please do as long as you credit my father, Marshall Green for the photos. I have MANY more of both cars.
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#22 Post by Thomas Frisardi »

Thank you for creating a great website.

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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#23 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

Thanks, Thomas, for looking.
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Last edited by Eric Marshall Green on Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#24 Post by wkenlewis »

Eric Marshall Green wrote:Can anyone tell me the car, color, place, owner, year, and who took the photo? That is my father Marshall Green touching the car.
The Ferrari looks a lot like the 195 that Gentleman Jim Kimberly raced in the USA Perhaps this was at one of those race areas

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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#25 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

Hint: the Ferrari was blue.
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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#26 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

My mother in 1954 in New Brunswick.
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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#27 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

Since no one guessed, the photo of my father with the Briggs Cunningham Ferrari was taken by Briggs. If anyone is interested in Cunninghams, they will be assembled in June at the Greenwich Concours. Watch out though; I've been invited!
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#28 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

James Davies, can you accurately date my father's car from either of these photos? This is how the car arrived from the factory. The manual I have says December 1952, but is likely the manual my father ordered in duplicate after he received the 356. So the original could well have been earlier. I know my dad was disappointed the car did not arrive with wooden door caps which he expected. I have a few pictures of the inside of the door panel. This car was the first private sale in north America (Canada) outside of about 8 Hoffmann purchased cars.
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Eric Marshall Green
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#29 Post by Eric Marshall Green »

I have tried going through Quebec and New Brunswick with the plate tag numbers without luck. I have contacted Porsche many times without response. As known, I recently received the vin number 11560 from a guy in Austria who claimed a secret source at Porsche, however, the woman at Porsche in Georgia did not think it was correct because that car was sent to Toronto and did not have my dad's name. I've heard it was Robert. I've talked with Jeff Zwart, but he wanted a COA to proceed. Anyway, it's been a bat chase. Ever try to catch a flying bat? There is a simple trick. I'm hoping to find the simple trick to getting copies of the letters my father MUST have sent Ferry Porsche in 1951. That is my goal. Also hoping Porsche might have photos of the car since it was so custom built for my father. Ferry, I'm sure, was a bit annoyed when my father did not race the car as intended.

Also, I am picking up my build in California this early April to drive across the country on my Quantum Run 356. While there, I hope to talk to Freeman Thomas and convince him to ask the right person at Porsche. He must know someone. But I can see that even on this forum my word has been doubted. If you knew me, you would know that is simply absurd.

I joined the group hoping to find someone with enough information and intelligence to help me in my search. I'm sure once the movie comes out someone will appear who will know if the letters and photos exist.

My build is not a kit car. It is a custom created replica where I only improved those things that I think Porsche would've also changed if they built a 356 now. In point of fact, Reutter built all the cars I've ever been interested in, not Porsche. When Porsche wanted to cheapen the 356, William sold out. But I'm sure you know this. Thanks for being helpful and open-minded, which seems rare these days. A friend of mine owned some of the rarest and original 356 Carreras. He sold them because he was disappointed in the kind of person who was now collecting these cars. Times change and culture changes. Nothing stays the same. If you place my name Eric Green in Google along with Time Diptychs, you will se a body of work I did on this fact. Cheers!
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James Davies
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Re: My Father's 1952 Coupe

#30 Post by James Davies »

Eric,

As I've said elsewhere, the photos indicate that your father's car was numbered between 11361 and 11778 based on the fact that it is a bent-window coupe and that it has export bumpers. It's entirely possible that 11560 is the car, as that is the first Canada delivery on record, but as you say, it was delivered to someone else in Toronto.

Perhaps your father bought it in Toronto from this other fellow, and you're confused about the timeline when your father travelled to Germany to the Porsche factory? Porsche didn't have a tourist delivery program in place in 1952. That would come later. Perhaps you're confusing your dad's purchase of the 1952 Porsche with the purchase of his 1961 car?

Anyway, I suspect you're at a dead end, especially since you no longer have the car. Many of us have cars from this period, but are at similar dead ends as Porsche and the importers selling their cars did not keep extensive records. Hoffman's records evaporated.

Since your dad raced against Max Hoffman, and got beat by Max in a Porsche, it's also possible he bought the car from Max. That might also explain the export bumpers, because almost all the cars that had bumpers like this went to Max Hoffman, as he's the one who had requested them from Porsche. If your dad bought his car from Max, then again, it could be any of the cars in that chassis number range, and frankly you're unlikely to find out which one it was. You may have to be satisfied that it was a cool car back then, and that's it.

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