Cooper Hardtop

Make
Mini
Segment
Hatchback

For the speed-obsessed fans of the present day incarnation of Porsche, the 356 might seem like little more than a historical curiosity. The car was half VW Beetle (in the real sense, where it actually shared components with the Beetle, not the fake Jeremy Clarkson sense), and wasn't even especially fast for the day. But it was still a very enjoyable car to drive, and as the first proper road model to wear a Porsche badge, it remains very important to collectors.

Of particular interest to collectors are examples like this one. It is a 1964 model, the penultimate year of 356 production, and it is equipped with an exceedingly rare factory option: an electric sunroof. The car was given a total mechanical restoration, which was completed in 2010 and included the lovely Bali Blue paint job. In addition to the electric sunroof, all of the numbers match, another of those things which collectors love. We don't expect the car to set any records, but this will surely be among the more expensive 356s ever sold when it crosses the block on November 23 at Mecum's Anaheim auction.