In 1957, this Speedster was imported into the USA by Porsche general importer Max Hoffman as one of the last of its kind – originally delivered in “ivory” as an open civilian car. In the early 60s already modified as a racing car, at that time still driven by Dick Scarborough. In the middle of the 60s the young Ed Parlett attended “driving school” with the big dream of becoming part of the racing scene on the East Coast. During his training he met style icon Paul Newman as well as legends like Roger Penske and Jackie Stewart. His first racing car crashed only a short time after obtaining his licence and so Ed Parlett came across to this 356 Speedster from Nagle Bridwell only a short time later, in 1969, via the middleman Bruce Baker. There are countless original invoices and entries to back up the story. Ed Parlett was not one of the most successful drivers of his days, but he was certainly a driver who could always keep up with finesse and a very keen technical expertise. He was known to record various rides using a SUPER 8 camera to evaluate and optimise his technique. There was hardly a track on the East Coast that was not mounted by Parlett between 1969-1975. To improve the year’s results, Ed Parlett also took part in Daytona a few times with starting number 45, which can be proven by original footage. After the end of the 1975 racing season, Parlett eventually sold his dream in ORANGE to a TWA driver named Jack Klinges from Betlehem / PA – originally with the idea of completely restoring the car. Ed and Jack lost track of each other and the project ended up in Jack’s hangar for the next 33 years. In 2008, surfer and car dealer Tom Miller discovered the vehicle and, through a contact in Austria, brokered it to the former owner in Hamburg, Germany. When the car was recovered, the new owner could not believe his eyes, as the vehicle left the hall in a patinated, but absolutely great state of preservation.The entire story was recorded by him in loving detail in pictures and sound. The highlight of his research were two visits with a camera team to ex-racing driver Ed Parlett. Both got to know each other in 2012 and they talked shop for many hours together with his closest companions from days gone by. During his visit, Ed Parlett proudly presented the original helmet and various relics from his racing days, which are now sold with the car. This car certainly has a unique history. The car then had two more owners and is now being offered again by EBERHARD THIESEN. The car has an engine from the Porsche 912 modified in 1969 for racing at that time with approx. 110 hp and disc brakes from the Porsche 356 C.
The Porsche 356 is the first series-production model from Zuffenhausen and is thus also referred to as the “original Porsche”. Porsche established its success on the US market with the Speedster variant, which was introduced at the end of 1954. The convertible with the low, sloping windscreen, the sporty bucket seats and the minimal folding top became a bestseller, especially in sunny Southern California. The young savages of the West Coast discovered the relatively inexpensive, albeit rather sparsely equipped sports car from Germany for themselves, and so Porsche became attractive in the USA. In addition to the excellent driving characteristics of the car, this success was certainly also due in part to the importer at the time, Max Hoffman, who recognised the potential for such a car at an early stage. The successful Porsche 356 series was continued in various models until 1965, when it was finally replaced by the Porsche 901 in 1963.
