Ferry Porsche’s 356 Speedster, unveiled in 1954 as a 1955 model, was an immediate sales success, and over the ensuing decades has established itself as a much sought-after exemple of automotive design.
This attractive 1600 Normal (60 horsepower) Speedster was completed on 22 November 1957, painted Ruby Red with a black soft top and either black or tan upholstery. Shipped new to Hoffman Motors in New York and then to its first owner in California, it was equipped with US-specification headlamps and instruments. Over its long life, the car has passed through owners in the US, Australia, and Canada.
Around 2002, it was comprehensively restored in Sydney, Australia by 911 Cars and Morton Automotive. The work included a bare-metal respray in Silver Metallic of the largely undamaged and rust-free body, which retained all its original body panels. A new red leather interior was crafted, and a 1,600-cubic-centimeter 912 engine (number 4095142) and transaxle were installed. The numbers-matching engine and transaxles (numbers 67751 and 17193, respectively) were rebuilt and put aside.
After the restoration was completed in 2004, the car was entered in the 2005 Australian National Porsche 356 Concours, securing a Gold Class award. The car has participated in several long-distance tours. By 2009, the car had been sold to Mr. Bill Alexander of Mt. Waverly, Victoria, Australia, who subsequently relocated to Canada. The Speedster was then sold via a New York sports car dealership to a buyer in California who addressed various minor issues before offering it for sale. Eventually the car was acquired by Mr. Guikas and returned to Europe.
Today, this T2 Speedster is presented in excellent cosmetic and driving condition. Its odometer reads 92,387 miles at the time of cataloguing. It is accompanied by its numbers-matching engine and gearbox, chromed steel wheels with crested Porsche hubcaps, a folio of documents including a scan of its factory Kardex, a letter dated 18 January 2010 from Porsche Australia to Mr. Alexander confirming the car’s original specifications, plus a number of service and parts invoices, and a correct spare wheel.
1958 
1957 
