Porsche 356A Speedster chassis number 83849 left the factory in October of 1957 as one of the earliest T2s produced for the 1958 model year. The car was imported through Hoffman Motor Cars and delivered to its first owner, Joan Humphreys of Pompano Beach, Florida directly from Stuttgart. Not much is known of the car’s earliest days, but it was eventually spotted by the current long-term owner at a Gulf filling station in the mid 1970s. After consistent persuasion, including the occasional martini cocktail date, Mrs. Humphreys eventually relented and the car was sold to its second owner on November 10, 1975.
By the 1990s, the car was starting to show its age, and it was decided to fully refurbish the Speedster to a factory-fresh condition. Michaelian Restoration in Stuart, Florida was chosen to perform the work. Detailed progress reports and a photo album document the extent of the restoration, which included stripping the car to bare metal, cutting out and replacing rusty panels with new steel, preparing the body and repainting the car in its original color, replacing the interior and installing a rebuilt engine.
This lovely Speedster is finished in its factory original color combination of Aquamarine Blue over Light Brown. Repainted during its restoration 30 years ago, the finish shows some minor blemishes here and there, but is in truly outstanding condition for its age.
Exterior features include front and rear bumper uprights with chrome-plated tubular overriders, T2-specific “wedge” turn signals, Aero side mirror on the driver’s door, chrome-plated bolt-on windshield frame, teardrop tail lights, side spears, Speedster badging and a high-bow convertible top.
While no trim color was noted on the Kardex, the interior of the car was light brown when originally purchased in the mid-70s and this color was retained when the Speedster was restored.
Powering the Speedster is a 1.6-liter air-cooled flat 4-cylinder engine good for 60hp and 81 lb-ft of torque. Atop the dual Zenith carburetors sit a pair of black Knecht air filters. The engine starts well after sitting with a small puff of smoke typical from engines with horizontal cylinders. The engine was rebuilt in 2022 to address a misfiring engine due to a mechanical issue with cylinder #2 and now operates well. Some wetness can be seen on the oil sump studs, but the engine is very clean and overall very dry underneath.
This Speedster retains its numbers matching type 644 gearbox, stamped with “16350” as indicated on the factory Kardex. The gearset is indicated as BBAB. New synchros were installed in 2022 during the engine rebuild and the steering box was rebuilt in 2020, according to service records.
Based on a road test, the car steers and drives very well with no grinding from the transmission and smooth shifts. Braking is provided by four-wheel drums as standard. There is some blue gearbox fluid visible at the front of the transmission from a leaking shift shaft seal, a common issue.
Supporting the history above, the car includes a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, factory Kardex, service records for major maintenance, an album of photos documenting the restoration, detailed notes from the restoration shop, the bill of sale noting the seller’s purchase in 1975, and a copy of the original Florida title. There is no toolkit included and the jack is missing its handle.
The opportunity to acquire a 2-owner Porsche 356 Speedster with a thoroughly known history, original miles and fully documented restoration is becoming rarer with each passing year. This 1958 356A Speedster’s 50 years of ownership, desirable color combination, and high-quality restoration that has stood the test of time place it among the upper echelons of collectibility. Thanks to its regular exercise on the Blue Ridge Parkway and recent no-expense-spared maintenance, this beautiful blue Speedster is ready to enjoy as intended.
1958 
