While I love my Porsche 356 C coupe, sometimes I think about selling it to acquire something more rare (Porsche built a lot of 356C coupes; 17,000, in fact) — perhaps just one classic that could be worthy of entering in a concours such as The Amelia. Such a car would have to satisfy my love of both early Porsches and Volkswagens, of course. This regular musing led me to a car that is part Volkswagen and in the rarest examples — part Porsche. For today’s Good Find Friday, I’m featuring an Apal Coupe.

The Apal Coupe was a small sports car produced in Belgium by the company Apal (Application Polyester Armé de Liège) during the 1960s. Designed by Belgian engineer Edmond Pery, the Apal Coupe featured a lightweight fiberglass body mounted on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis. The car utilized the VW’s rear-mounted, air-cooled engine and suspension system.

Approximately 150 units of the Apal Coupe were manufactured between 1961 and 1965. The vehicle was offered in both kit form and fully assembled models, allowing customers to choose their preferred level of involvement in construction. While the Coupe was primarily built for road use, its lightweight fiberglass bodywork and aerodynamic shape also made it competitive in amateur motorsport applications.

Belgian coachbuilder and importer D’Ieteren provided the Volkswagen chassis for the Apal, and secured 30 Porsche VIN numbers and components to construct 30 Porsche-powered Apal Coupes. These cars used Porsche 356 engines, transaxles, brakes and instrumentation and represented a significant performance upgrade over the Volkswagen drivetrains. The Porsche-powered variants of the Apal Coupe are among the most desirable versions of these cars.

This 1962 Apal Coupe is offered as a restoration project in Waremme, Belgium and is priced at €19,900 or approximately $22,330.

The exterior design of the Apal Coupe is undeniably inspired by that of the Zagato-penned Abarth GTL, though it is somewhat more awkward in appearance. The Apal had to use more off-the-shelf components for cost considerations and was designed as a sporting road car, which may have held the design back a little compared to the Abarth.

Photos of the interior show what looks to be a solid pan, though there are no seats fitted. The dashboard is not mounted, and the door and quarter window glass is not installed. It would appear some weatherstripping is lying on the floor. The doors are secured closed with wood blocks, and it appears there is no steering column or wheel present. Fortunately, door and rear panels are included, but require reconditioning or restoration.

The only compartment shown is the front trunk, which holds a Volkswagen fuel tank and bundles of wiring.  A windshield wiper motor assembly is stored inside, so that may be one less item to source.

The engine bay isn’t shown, but the listing confirms that an engine is not included with the sale and will need to be sourced. The car is sitting on a Volkswagen chassis, but one should probably assume it is in need of a complete overhaul due to its dormancy for many years.

Quite a few parts photos are shown, including headlights, tail lamps, latches, hinges, a side mirror, door and window glass, and a complete dashboard.

While it’s not mentioned in the ad, the shape and style of the dashboard confirms this is not an Apal-Porsche, but one of the Volkswagen variants.

As a rare classic, Apal Coupes do not hit the open market very often. When an Apal does list, automotive media typically publish a flurry of articles, which helps us track sales. The most recent public sales occurred all the way back in 2016, when two complete Apal-Porsche Coupes hit the market the same year. Both were painted red, with one in much finer condition than the other.

An Apal-Porsche was sold by RM Sotheby’s at their Arizona sale in January of 2016. The car was originally delivered to Germany and eventually found its way to a Porsche collector in the United States. At the time of sale, the car was fresh from a post-restoration appearance at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and could be considered a template from which to restore a similar car. It sold for $88,000.

The other red Apal-Porsche was offered for sale in Bonhams Cars’ Zoute event in October of 2016 where it hammered sold for €63,250. This car was in unrestored condition and claimed 39 years of continuous ownership by the consignor. The interior of the car had been refreshed and the 1600cc engine was recently rebuilt.

The comps above are for completed vehicles, while the subject car is both a project car and has a Volkswagen VIN and not a Porsche VIN. These two factors significantly affect the value of the car. In its current condition, this car would require loads of investment to return to its original beauty (assuming it was ever originally completed).

At an asking price of $23,000 or so, I think the seller is a bit optimistic. If the car came with a correct 1300cc Volkswagen engine or were an Apal-Porsche instead of an Apal-Volkswagen, the asking price would be a little more palatable. I love these Apal Coupes and there’s a huge part of me that would love to acquire one to restore, and thanks to the included parts this would be a great candidate. However, if I lived on The Continent, I’d be more interested at a price closer to $15,000-17,000. Add the costs of importation, and the search for a Stateside Apal continues…

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!