Continental script

[Tom Kaiser]

Would like to understand if the Continental scipt was always and only available in gold ?
If so were the Porsche scipts in front and back also in gold like the speedster once or as all other 55 models in silver ?

[Vic Skirmants]

Never saw a 1955 script of any type in silver.

[James Davies]

Hi Tom,

This photo should answer your question.

From all the evidence I've seen, the "Continental" script was gold, and many (most?) had aluminum PORSCHE and engine scripts front and rear. At the same time, Speedsters had gold PORSCHE and engine scripts, and it seems some of those found their way onto Continentals as well.

[Jim Wayman]

My '55 Continental (early) has aluminum scripts other than the gold Continental badges. It is original unmolested. My '55 Continental Cab (late) had all gold scripts. Seems the change from aluminum to gold (other than Continental scripts, which were always gold) was made mid year. Brett Johnson doesn't indicate a changeover date or chassis number.

[Vic Skirmants]

Thank you James, and Jim. I still learn new 356 stuff almost every day.

[Spencer Harris]

The 1955 Catalog of Spare Parts lists the PORSCHE insignias and engine designation badges in both chrome and gold plating.
SPEEDSTER and SPYDER scripts are listed in gold plating only.
The small, radio delete PORSCHE insignia is listed in gold or silver plating.
I’ve never seen any reference to the Continental or European scripts in either the ’55 or ’57 parts manuals.

55 parts pp 258a.JPG (153.21 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

55 parts pp 258b.JPG (120.96 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

My May ’55 Continental coupe had chrome plated badges when I bought the car in 1972 – but the car had been repainted silver, the beehives had been replaced with teardrops and a 1600 badge installed on the rear panel. The small Porsche insignia on the radio delete plate was & is gold.
Maybe I should have re-plated my Continental badges when gold was what - thirty bucks an ounce?

DSC_0206 (Large).JPG (247.9 KiB) Viewed 1379 times

[Martin Benade]

Were any emblems actually chrome from the factory or was that a casual listing for silver or something?

[Jules Dielen]

as far as I know they are polished aluminum on the early cars .

[Jan Kolm]

When I was a teenager, one of our local VW shops had a very early 1955 Speedster (chassis # in the low 80200s, engine P34222) on their parts car row that had aluminum rear scripts. This was back when almost nobody wanted Speedsters, let alone a Pre-A. I think the car was eventually picked over and junked, while the engine made its way into a VW several years later, after the shop changed hands.

[Victor Ingram]

Gold at the very top, Aluminum 1500 and Porsche Logos
Gold Continentals and Chrome at the very bottom

[Martin Benade]

What year was chrome?

[Victor Ingram]

Martin I would say 56

[Albert Haefner]

Continental always gold.
PORSCHE script and Engine scripts on préA are non anodized, thick Aluminum.
Exception: Speedster scripts and scripts on 1500S cars from 1954 on are gold.

[Spencer Harris]

Continental always gold.
PORSCHE script and Engine scripts on préA are non anodized, thick Aluminum.
Exception: Speedster scripts and scripts on 1500S cars from 1954 on are gold.

Albert, were the non anodized, thick aluminum scripts attached with 7-pin hollow rivets through late 1953 and then 5-pin solid rivets through the 1955 cars?

Illus 35 7pin vs 5pin.jpg (170.01 KiB) Viewed 1286 times

[James Davies]

Jim, adding this nice period photo of a 1955 Continental somewhere in, well, I'm not sure. Car is RHD. New Zealand? Australia? Sure doesn't look like the U.K. One can see it is pretty new, no dings, and it has its original turbo rings, Reutter badge, "Continental" scripts, and gold "Porsche" script at the front.

Agree that gold scripts did indeed come on 1955 coupes and cabs, both Hoffman cars and those in Europe.