1955 Porsche 356

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys The Monterey Auction event, 13 - 15 August 2026.
Offered Without Reserve $200,000 - $275,000 USD

• A Porsche 356 of fascinating provenance; known history from new
• Display car used by Porsche at the 1955 Los Angeles Import Auto Show
• Purchased new following the show by Bill Bond, brother of Road & Track owner John Bond
• Owned for over 40 years by renowned Road & Track Art Director William A. Bill Motta
• Powered by its numbers-matching 1.5-liter engine; finished in its factory-correct Ivory over a Black interior
• Accompanied by a copy of its Kardex, service records dating back to the late sixties, period photographs, tools, and manuals

As the owners of Road & Track, John and Elaine Bond were no strangers to the highest-performing cars available in the 1950s. When Johns brother, Bill Bond, expressed interest in purchasing something more exciting than the cumbersome American sedan he was then driving, John invited him to attend the 1955 Import Auto Show at Los Angeles Pan-Pacific Auditorium. Upon arrival, Bill was immediately smitten with the white, sunroof-equipped Porsche 356 Pre-A Continental Coupe displayed by legendary dealer John Von Neumanns Competition Motors. Not long after the close of the show, Bill was the owner of that very car the same car RM offers here.

After four years of enjoyment, Bill Bond sold his Continental to a young Road & Track employee, William A. Bill Motta. Motta would go on to cherish chassis 54174 for the next four decades, using it as his daily driver and keeping meticulous service records stretching back to the 1960s. In 1998, 54174 was the feature of a multipage spread in Road & Track describing the cars history and Mottas adoration for it. In 1999, Motta sold the car to Bill and Carmie Casella, who commissioned a sympathetic restoration, which included new paint and chrome, refurbishing the interior, and a full rebuild of the cars numbers-matching engine.

The Casellas would show the car extensively, including back-to-back First in Class finishes at the 2003 and 2004 356 Porsche Club Concours dElegance in Dana Point, California. After more than a decade of ownership, the Casellas sold 54714 to the White Collection in 2012, which continued the cars fastidious care, including starting and running to operating temperature monthly.

Acquired by the consignor in 2023 and kept as part of his collection, this stunning Pre-A Continental Coupe, offered with a copy of its Kardex, service records dating back to 2000, period photographs, tool roll, and factory manuals, is ready to astound its next caretaker just as it did under the bright lights of Los Angeles in 1955.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo26/.