Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500 Speedster

The vehicle in detail

Having been recently completed and receiving excellent care, the present condition is full show quality. The paintwork is stunning against the exceptional brightwork and exterior trim. The upholstery is trimmed in correct German materials and features VDO instrumentation with an original steering wheel. The date-coded 7/54 Sudrad 3.25″ x 16″ wheels are fitted to Michelin 5.50 Radial 16 175 80 R16 tires (2021 date codes). Further expressing this Speedster’s originality is the presence of its numbers-matched decks and doors, all of which display the 35 number stamping in the factory locations. The undercarriage is also in show condition with a chromate-coated driveline.

Mechanically powered by its matching 1500cc plain bearing flat-four engine (Type 546) producing 55hp @ 4400 RPM paired to its matching single-mount 4-speed manual transmission (Type 519). Complete with a toolkit, date coded Sudrad spare wheel, jack, boot cover, tonneau cover, side curtains, and photo documentation of the restoration. A very rare opportunity to acquire such a low production numbers of one of the first 200 Pre-A Speedsters, finished in its original color combination with a matching driveline. This would make a wonderful addition to any Porsche collection!

History
In early 1954, Ferry Porsche sat down with his company’s New York distributor, the entrepreneurial Max Hoffman, to discuss ways to sell more cars in what would become the firm’s most vital market, the United States. Porsche agreed to produce a bare-bones, low-cost sports car to compete with the British and Italian makes that were proving so popular with American customers.

The fledgling German automaker had some hurried decisions to make. With its contracted body manufacturer Reutter lacking the proper stamping dies in place to produce what Hoffman dubbed the “Speedster,” Porsche used what it had available as a starting point: 356 Cabriolet body shells. All of the first 200 Speedsters built in 1954 were based on Cabriolets whose windshield posts were simply cut off. Many of them also retained the mounting points on the rear quarter wheel housings for the Cabriolet’s folding canvas top.

When the new year arrived, those issues had been resolved, and Reutter began manufacturing 356 Speedster bodies in earnest. Carrying a base price of $2,995, the Speedster proved a hit in the showroom, especially in warmer climes. A typical Hoffman ad of the day proclaimed: “Years ahead in engineering, Miles ahead on the road.” Speedsters proved so popular in amateur racing, both with pushrod and the ferocious Carrera four-cam engines, that entire grids would often be filled with these diminutive warriors.