Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster

While the name “Speedster” had been coined by earlier marques, it was Porsche that cemented it in the public mind. The nimble and spartan rear-engined 356 quickly made a name for itself in the popular culture of the mid-to-late 1950s, and soon became a dominant player in amateur sports car racing. Today, the 356 Speedster remains highly sought-after, with the modern versions equally desirable.
Based upon the Carrera Cabriolet, the 964-era Speedster was powered by its sibling’s 3.2-litre, air-cooled, flat-six engine, rated at 231 horsepower and 195 foot-pounds of torque. Power was transferred to the road via a five-speed Getrag G50 transaxle while ventilated, cross-drilled disc brakes with alloy calipers at all four corners brought the machine to a halt.

Clothing the chassis was a design worthy of its elegant ancestor. Chief Designer, Anatole Lapin, massaged a previous design he created for Porsche’s Head of Research and Development, Helmuth Bott. Lapine’s work featured an evocative twin-hump fibreglass tonneau that covered the folded top and precluded rear seats as well as an aluminum-framed windscreen three inches lower and raked five degrees flatter than its Cabriolet sibling. The “camel hump” tonneau concealed a bare bones manual convertible top which, fitting with the values of the Speedster badge, Porsche described as being for “temporary use only”.
Although initially conceived to be a low production, fair-weather car, the Speedster ended up costing more than its Cabriolet sibling. Nevertheless, buyers clamoured to own one with most of the 2,065 examples immediately vanishing into private collections.

The car offered for sale here is rare even by 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster standards. Sold new with unique tourist delivery preparation, this example was ordered cloaked in the paint-to-sample colour of Elfenbein (Ivory) over black, partial leather interior. It rides on colour-matched, Elfenbein Fuchs alloy wheels tucked inside its wide, Turbo-inspired arches. The odometer displays just 1,986 miles at the time of cataloguing. This example was specified with optional extras including air conditioning, electric height adjustment driver’s seat, and a velour luggage compartment. Additional performance-minded options include a limited slip differential and shortened gear shift lever.

This remarkable Porsche 911 Speedster presents as exciting an ownership proposition today as it did in 1989. With low mileage and its unique paint-to-sample Elfenbein colour scheme, this Speedster presents a truly rare opportunity for collectors of the marque.