Peter Behrens (a godfather figure to the young architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe) taught us to eliminate unnecessary bells and whistles, thus minimizing the separation of form and function.

And we believe that’s true, but without exaggerating: the one published here is what remains of a 356 of 1953 (chassis # 50312), and is much less than what can be defined as “essential”: there is an chassis, a steering wheel , and a gearbox that does not contain gears.

There are also four wheels, to tell the whole truth, and an engine that comes from a 356 C but the list ends here. We wonder how there could be around a chassis without the slightest part of the body: probably this car had suffered a serious road accident, or the body was so rusty to be irrecoverable. In any case, if you are interested, start now to draw up the list of spare parts you need, because you will need many months to finish it. Find it for sale at $37,500 here in Clarendon Hills, IL.