The Porsche 356 was the pioneering sports car that bore the Porsche name back in the post-war period. These cars possessed a quite unique character, and this character is enhanced by the work of Emory Motorsports, who take old 356 cars and completely rebuild them to become Emory “Outlaws”: famous for their build quality and uniqueness.
Fast Facts
- Known as “Outlaws” the customized Porsche 356 cars of Rod Emory and Emory Motorsports are respected and sought after.
- Emory Motorsports is a culmination of the work of the Emory family, beginning with hot rod creator Neil Emory and his Valley Custom Shop.
- Emory Motorsports specialize in the Porsche 356 and building custom improved versions.
- A custom 1965 Porsche 356 Emory Special Cabriolet is up for sale on Bring a Trailer at the time of publication.
Emory Motorsports traces its origins back to the Valley Custom Shop run by Neil Emory and begun in 1948. Valley Custom Shop was located in Burbank, California, and was a highly creative custom hot rod builder.
Following on from Neil’s pioneering business Gary Emory began Gary Emory’s Parts Obsolete, which became a valued source of hard to get parts for Porsche cars.
Not only was Gary Emory in the parts business but he was also responsible for the creation of the original Baja Bug: a Volkswagen beetle with soft top roof and front and rear chopped off-road body modifications.
Rod Emory’s passion was for the Porsche 356 and for both restoration – especially of historically significant cars, and restoration with significant improvements.
These improved Emory Porsche 356 became known as “Outlaws” and earned Emory an enviable reputation for quality and performance in the best possible taste.
These Emory Outlaw Porsche 356’s are the result of a customer coming to Rod Emory and between them working out their ideal Porsche 356.
So far there have been around 180 Emory 356’s created, each unique, and one of these is up for auction on Bring a Trailer at time of publication.
The 356 on offer was originally made in 1965 as a 356C coupé before being passed to Rod Emory for the Outlaw treatment: this work being completed in February 2024.
This car emerged from Rod Emory’s workshop as an Emory Special cabriolet finished in Tropical Green Metallic over Vine Green leather.
This green machine is powered by a 2.6-liter Emory-Rothsport flat-four engine that combines Porsche 911 internals and bespoke components housed in a custom-cast case. The engine features electronic fuel injection with individual throttle bodies, twin-spark coil-on-plug ignition, and dry-sump lubrication.
The aluminum fuel tank is a custom 15 US gallon unit.
This engine delivers its power to the rear wheels via a Type 901 five-speed manual transaxle while stopping power is provided by four-wheel ventilated disc brakes.
The suspension is a 911 style setup with PEP adjustable shock absorbers. Wheels are 16” billet aluminum.
The car’s bumpers have been eliminated and the body modified to increase the windshield rake with an ingenious lowered removable hard top. The car features rolled rocker panels, and a louvered deck-lid.
For times when the roof is detached it comes with a black convertible top and tonneau cover.
The interior of the car features a MOMO steering wheel, Emory gear shift knob, custom reclining seats, and electric air-conditioning.
Overall the car exudes tasteful quality, not exactly Spartan, but certainly with no fuss or frills. Its a car for someone who seeks tasteful minimalism.
You will find the sale page for this car if you click here.
Picture Credits: All pictures courtesy Bring a Trailer.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
