A Mother’s Porsche 356 Got Her Newborn Safely Home in a Storm

Photography by David Marvier for Petrolicious

Frédéric, of Marolles, France, bought this 1959 Porsche 356 in 2001 from the France’s 356 club president. The car is an A model 1600 S with 75 horsepower.

Around ten years ago, he took the car to get repainted, but the coachbuilder informed him that the 356’s body was very tired, making the cost of the paint job very expensive, so Frédéric decided that they would sell the car. When Sandra found out his plan, she was beyond disappointed and upset. It turned out that she had a very strong emotional connection with her husband’s car due to an event that occured just after her daughter was born.

Here’s the story: Frédéric drove the 356 to the hospital in the winter to bring Sandra and their newborn baby home from the maternity ward. During the drive the weather went from a bit stormy to horrible. Snow fell heavily on the roads, causing many cars to slide off into ditches, and there was not heating or defrost system in the car, so the family had to drive with the windows down to keep the windshield from fogging up. It was a slow and nerve-wracking drive, but thanks to the narrow tires on the Porsche, they were able to stay on the road and get their infant home safely. Because the car kept her baby safe, Sandra never wanted to part with it.

Once he realized his wife’s attachment to the car, Frédéric decided against selling it and instead gave it to his wife. She worked very hard to save money for the paint job that Frédéric had originally planned for. Sandra opted for the pleasant feminine color we see on the 356 today. Aside from enjoying the car’s color, Sandra loves its light steering, good road handling, and reliability.