Driving the Ultimate Pushrod 356, the SC/GT

Porsche nomenclature can be confusing. In the world of 356s, the Carreras were the top of the heap. The lightweight quad-cam Carreras and Carrera 2s were the GT3s of their day; they were deeply specialized, performance-first machines. Today, however, the Carrera name denotes the bottom of the 911 hierarchy. The SC/GT fit somewhere between the standard pushrod-four powered 356 models and the Carrera 2, and represents the ultimate evolution of the pushrod-powered cars. With aluminum body panels and a potent 1600cc flat-four, these are among the rarest and most desirable of all 356s.

This example was acquired by Bruce Anderson from the original owner in 1965, and Bruce reportedly competed in more than 200 autocrosses with the lightweight car early in his ownership. In 1969 he took the car down to bare metal and performed its first restoration, after which it began a life of concours entries. The car won first in class at Hillsborough, third in class at Pebble Beach, and more with Mr. Anderson.

The car then changed hands several times from the 70s through the early 2000s, and was recently restored by Road Scholars. More photos are available on their website, and believe us, it’s drool-worthy. Wear a bib.

Though the pushrod engine is a far cry from the wailing four-cam, the final SC variants are delightful and potent. The joyful chatter at idle transitions into a purposeful shout as the revs climb, and in a lightweight SC/GT, this car promises to be a serious performer on the road or the concours field. We absolutely love it.