Instagram Jump Start: From barn find to center stage, this ’54 Porsche 356 shines

Want to get a car lover’s attention? Two words: Barn find. That proved true once again as a 1954 Porsche 356 got plenty of attention on Instagram last week and became the most-liked post on HagertyClassicCars.

From Porsche to Willys, five different automakers scored spots in the top five:

1. 1954 Porsche 356 (1,345 likes) – U.S. importer Max Hoffman convinced Porsche to build a stripped-down roadster with a cut-down windscreen that he could sell for less than $3,000 (equal to about $26,378 in today’s economy). The result was the 1954 Porsche 356. This gorgeous California barn find underwent a 4½-year restoration.
   
2. 1965 Pontiac Tempest (1,150) – Base engine in the 1965 Pontiac Tempest was a 215-cid inline-six, but a 326-cid V-8 could be optioned with horsepower of 250 or 285, depending on carburetion.
   
3. 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport (1,040) – The front of the 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport carried angled headlights and a cross-hair grille. Under the hood, buyers could roll with the standard 383-cid, 305-hp V-8 or upgrade to a 413-cid, 340-hp Wedge. There were 11,776 built.
   
4. 1957 Ford Thunderbird (1,012) – Ford built 21,380 Thunderbirds in 1957, highest in the car’s first three years, but a complete redesign followed in 1958.
   
5. 1962 Willys FJ-3 Fleetvan (1,005) – Distinguished by its horizontal grille slats (in contrast to the vertical slats found on standard Jeeps), this 1962 Willys FJ-3 Fleetvan was built for use by the U.S. Postal Service – indicated by its right-hand-drive configuration. The compact delivery van could also be ordered as a left-hand drive. The Fleetvan was originally equipped with the F-134 Hurricane engine and Borg-Warner T-90 three-speed manual transmission. The owner of this one – artist Margie Guyot of Ellsworth, Mich. – traded a painting for it. She said she has received “hundreds” of offers to sell it over the years, but she is reluctant to let it go because it’s such a head turner. No argument here.
   

One We Love But You Only Liked – Every week there’s a photo that we think deserved a lot more “likes” than it received. This one – a close-up of a 1961 Willys Jeep wagon – is one of those.

Best of the Rest – Posted on @petrolicious but photographed by @mathieubonnevie, this birds-eye view of a Mercedes 300SL roadster at France’s Journées d’Automne (Autumn Days) is a show stopper. It’s difficult to find an exceptional way to depict an iconic car that has been photographed as often as the 300SL has, but this one accomplishes that mission. Of the thousands of automotive photographs on Instagram last week, it’s our favorite.