One-off 1953 Porsche 356 Stretch Limousine Is Up for Auction on Bring a Trailer
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In 2001, Porsche collector John Dixon needed something special for his daughter's wedding. Rather than rent a limousine, he had one built from a 1953 Porsche 356.
The result was a four-door, chauffeur-driven Porsche that looked surprisingly at home in the 1950s, despite being built nearly 50 years later.
Now, 25 years after its creation, the one-off Porsche 356 limousine is up for auction on Bring a Trailer. Bidding has reached approximately $96,000 as of October 15, 2026, although the car has previously sold for more than twice that amount.
A Wedding Car Porsche Never Built
The project began with John Dixon, a prominent Porsche collector from Dayton, Ohio, whose extensive collection became known as the Taj Ma Garaj. Dixon wanted a Porsche limousine for his daughter's September 2001 wedding, a vehicle that had never appeared in the company's production lineup.
Automotive illustrator Byron Kauffman helped develop the design, while custom car builder Don "The Egyptian" Boeke and his team in Dayton handled the fabrication.
The starting point was a heavily deteriorated 1953 Porsche 356 Pre-A, chassis 50146, supplemented by parts from several other stripped 356 chassis. According to Kauffman, the original donor car had badly rusted floors and required extensive metalwork, making it a suitable candidate for an unconventional second life.
The front bodywork came from a 356 originally delivered to France through Porsche importer Sonauto in February 1953. It retains the early "bent-window" windshield, a single piece of glass that replaced the two-piece windshields used on the earliest 356 models.
Boeke's team extended the body, fabricated the additional doors, and carefully integrated the rear section to resemble something Porsche might have produced in the early 1950s.
Kauffman later recalled that part of the project's appeal was giving Dixon's Porsche-purist friends something to complain about.
Twice the Doors, Twice the Attention
Finished in Grand Prix White, the limousine retains much of the original 356's rounded styling, although its proportions are considerably different.
The front doors open conventionally, while the additional rear doors are hinged at the back. Wide B-pillars incorporate square windows, small opera lights, and period-style trafficators, the mechanical turn indicators commonly found on European cars before flashing indicators became standard.
Other exterior details include rear wheel spats, BFGoodrich whitewall tires, Porsche-crest hubcaps, a rear luggage rack, and four beehive taillights. A tan fabric sunroof covers the rear passenger compartment.
Original-style Reutter and Sonauto badging reinforces the car's early Porsche roots, while custom "Limousine" scripts on the body make its new purpose clear.
Despite the extended body, this is still a four-seater. There are two seats up front and a private compartment for two rear passengers, rather than the multiple rows typically associated with modern stretch limousines.
First-Class Travel, 1950s Style
The interior is where the wedding-car concept becomes particularly apparent.
A glass partition separates the driver from the rear passenger compartment, which features tan leatherette upholstery, a rear bench with folding seatbacks, Venetian-style window blinds, footrests, and color-matched carpeting.
Wood trim houses a period clock, an indoor/outdoor thermometer, and recessed holders for champagne flutes. The interior also includes roll-up windows, lap belts, a Blaupunkt radio blanking plate, and a floral-patterned ashtray.
Kauffman previously described the car as having a vintage "Car Bar" system that could deliver drinks through tubing to the passenger area, although the current auction listing does not detail whether that system remains operational.
Up front, the chauffeur gets bucket seats with cloth inserts, a mocha-colored steering wheel, and VDO gauges, including a 120-mph speedometer and a 6,000-rpm tachometer. The air suspension controls are concealed inside the glovebox.
A Porsche 912 Engine for the Extra Weight
The limousine originally used a Porsche 356 flat-four, but the added weight soon exposed its limitations. A more powerful engine was needed to move the longer body and its passengers.
The replacement is a rear-mounted, 1.6-liter flat-four sourced from a Porsche 912. The engine was reportedly overhauled by Yuri Rojas in Dayton, Ohio, with upgraded pistons, a modified camshaft, and twin dual-throat carburetors.
An exact horsepower figure for the modified engine has not been provided.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle. The car also retains four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and rides on 15-inch steel wheels.
Air suspension was installed to accommodate the limousine's additional weight and varying passenger loads, making it possible to adjust the ride height.
While it still shares its basic mechanical layout with the original 356, the added bodywork means this Porsche was built more for arriving at a wedding than setting lap records.
From the Taj Ma Garaj to a $207,200 Sale
Following its appearance at Dixon's daughter's wedding, the limousine remained part of his Taj Ma Garaj collection for years.
After Dixon's death, the collection was offered through RM Sotheby's in Dayton, Ohio, on September 28, 2019. The sale included an assortment of rare Porsches, Volkswagen models, memorabilia, and unusual custom vehicles.
The 1953 Porsche 356 limousine, offered as Lot 366, sold for $207,200, including the buyer's premium. Its hammer price was $185,000.
The buyer was the proprietor of the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne, Florida, where the limousine subsequently joined a collection better known for high-performance American machinery.
The museum describes it as the only known Porsche 356-based limousine.
Now Back on the Market: Could It Bring Six Figures?
The Porsche is currently being offered on Bring a Trailer as Lot # 268300, complete with a Florida title.
The five-digit odometer displays approximately 120 miles, although the listing identifies its actual mileage as unknown. Around 15 miles have reportedly been added during the current ownership.
Preparation for the auction included an oil change, replacement air filters, and adjustments to the air suspension.
As of October 15, 2026, bidding has reached $95,911, considerably below the car's previous $207,200 auction result. However, that figure is only the current bid, not a final sale price.
The Bring a Trailer auction is scheduled to close on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time, subject to extensions for last-minute bids.
With genuine 1953 Porsche bodywork, a modified 912 engine, a one-off coachbuilt body, and a history involving one of America's more unusual Porsche collections, this limousine has a story few conventional 356s can match.
Porsche never put a four-door 356 into production. John Dixon only needed one.
Would you pay six figures for the world's most unusual wedding Porsche?
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