Where the Porsche Family Goes to Get Their Porsches Fixed Up

It’s a rare thing to see a 1952 Porsche 356 America roadster up close. A special edition from early in the model line, it was among the first cars to which Ferry Porsche lent his now legendary last name. Only 16 were made. Eleven still exist.

But to see one from underneath, dismantled with every piston and seam exposed, is like seeing a unicorn—and then getting to scratch its nose. On a sweltering summer day in North Carolina, that’s exactly where I found myself: square underneath its crimson shell, gawking at its inexact welding, trying to imagine what it felt like to build a car that would change the automotive world. Elsewhere in a nondescript garage tucked 15 minutes away from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the wheels, engine, and interior of the car were also being meticulously refurbished.