Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster

The vehicle in detail

The paintwork is flawless, complemented by excellent gaps and panel fit, and beautifully finished brightwork and aluminum trim. The interior features Speedster seats, a blue canvas soft top and boot cover, blue German square-weave carpets, and a beautifully restored dashboard with VDO instrumentation and a VDM steering wheel with deluxe horn ring. Date-coded 4½ x 15 ventilated chrome wheels are fitted with Michelin XZX 165 HR15 tires. The undercarriage is solid and rust-free, with detailed suspension components, and is fully detailed.

The earliest known provenance begins on July 15, 1968, with an invoice to Mr. Moss for oil service and carburetor adjustment at Art Stange Foreign Car Service in Mountain View, California. Ownership later passed to Mr. Baldwin of Los Gatos, California, who maintained the 356 for several decades, with registration documentation on file from the late 1970s through 2010. European Collectibles purchased the 356 from Mr. Baldwin and sold it to a local client in Los Angeles, California, who had the entire driveline rebuilt, including the engine, transmission, brakes, and suspension, and used it as a driver.

In 2017, the 356 was sold to a client who commissioned European Collectibles to perform a full concours restoration, returning it to its original exterior color, Meissen Blue. European Collectibles carried out the concours restoration over a 20-month period. The 356 was completely disassembled so that every aspect could be properly addressed. The body panels match, and all panels were carefully pre-fitted with bumpers, overrider bars, a windshield frame, and a soft top frame to ensure the best possible fitment. All chrome components were triple-plated, seals and aluminum trim were replaced, and components were restored or replaced as needed. The engine, transmission, brakes, and suspension were removed. The four-wheel drum braking system was completely rebuilt, including the master cylinder, brake lines, wheel cylinders, and brake shoes. The undercarriage and all the suspension were completely detailed. The interior was retrimmed in Blue upholstery, German square-weave carpets, a blue German canvas soft top, a canvas boot cover, and side curtains. The Speedster was shipped to North Carolina but was driven less than 400 miles.