Thornley Kelham has unveiled the Porsche 356 European SL, an aluminium-bodied reinterpretation of the 356A inspired by Porsche’s class-winning debut at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Production will be limited to 50 coupés, each built around an extensively restored and reinforced original Porsche 356 chassis. Its public debut is scheduled for Megaphonics at Boxengasse on August 1-2, 2026, which takes place near Bicester in the UK.
The project takes its inspiration from the Porsche 356 SL, or Super Leicht, which was developed with aluminium bodywork for competition. Ferry Porsche waved the car away from Zuffenhausen before its entry at Le Mans in 1951, where it won its class on Porsche’s first appearance in the race and its first international motor sport event. Porsche built four examples of the 356 SL. Another was used at Montlhéry in September 1951, covering almost 11,000km over 72 hours at an average speed exceeding 150km/h.
Thornley Kelham’s interpretation retains the general form of the 356A but uses completely new aluminium bodywork. Its proportions are defined by a teardrop-shaped cabin, wider rear bodywork and reshaped panels, all assembled on a precision jig. The panels are produced using traditional hand-forming alongside CAD design and CNC manufacturing. External joints are smoothed and the company says the production process has been developed to achieve more consistent panel alignment than was possible on the original cars.
Simon Thornley, director and founder of Thornley Kelham, said: “Reimagining the 356 SL has been a long-term ambition of my colleague and co-director, Pim van de Riet, who developed and perfected his vision of the perfect 356 for over 20 years. His passion inspired me and led to the Thornley Kelham team realising his dream.”
Power comes from a bespoke 2332cc air-cooled flat-four based on an original Porsche 356 engine case. The standard Touring specification produces 180bhp, while the optional Sport version raises output to 200bhp and 180lb ft. Both versions use a five-speed manual gearbox with a dogleg shift pattern. Thornley Kelham quotes a dry weight of 930kg for the 356 European SL, giving the 200bhp model a power-to-weight ratio of more than 200bhp per tonne.
The chassis receives bespoke suspension, with passive dampers fitted as standard and an active damping system available as an option. Thornley Kelham has developed the suspension and powertrain to provide greater performance and everyday usability while retaining the character of the original 356. Customers will be able to specify the cabin in consultation with the company. Available features include bespoke seats, leather trim, fitted luggage and modern electronic equipment.
More details on the 356 European SL can be found here.
