Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster

This car was ready for export to the US in early 1957. A copy of the original order docket for chassis 82836 notes its handling dealer as ‘Hoffman, New York’ and the first owner as ‘Solomon’. The only extras listed are ‘sealed-beam Scheinwerfer’ – North American-spec headlamps – and ‘Typenschild 1957’, bumpers fitted with overriders, presumably to the latest design. The car’s regular 1600 engine number was 63813, its gearbox 12461.

Little is known of the car’s subsequent history until July 1983 when a Certificate of Title of a Motor Vehicle notes ownership by Robert Tolson, PO Box 33, Rison, Arkansas. The car’s colour is listed as ‘gry’ and it bears the registration KEL 920. A further Assignment of Title dated 4 August 1987 transfers ownership of the Speedster from Tolson to classic Porsche specialist trader Ibrahim Kuzu, 15819 El Estado Drive, Dallas, Texas, for the sum of $2,300.

Porsche specialist Diego Magnani of Pesaro, a city on the Adriatic coast, imported the car to Italy in October 2019 for the purpose of total restoration. All bodywork was entrusted to respected coachbuilder Matteo Stecconi of Restyling Cars near Piacenza; the interior to Ferraresi of Ferrara, leading experts in Porsche 356 trim. Magnani’s mechanics carried out the final painting and reassembly of the car in-house to ensure a consistently high standard of finish and mechanical excellence.

Our client bought the 356 Speedster in its current superlative restored condition in March 2021, importing it to Switzerland in June that year. The Speedster has clearly enjoyed top-class work with its stunning Aquamarin in show-stopping condition. A recent inspection by a Porsche 356 specialist considers the car a “a good professionally executed restoration,” and that the “quality of the restoration of the bodywork and the paintwork is of a high standard and the mechanics, to the eye, are correctly executed”. The engine number matches, though small differences in typeface only apparent to an expert suggest it is a replacement, but categorically of the correct type. The gearbox carries a non-matching number (13414) but is a 1957 Typ 644. During the restoration the US (miles) speedometer was replaced with a kilometre version; the US sealed-beam headlamps were exchanged for European units.

The soft-top is black rather than beige and the seats are now beige leather rather than leatherette. A good reproduction tool kit accompanies the car complete with correct Bilstein jack.

Like the Jaguar E-type, Mercedes 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ and Lamborghini Miura, the 356 Speedster is a car ‘of its day’, one that sums up exciting times racing at the weekend and just having fun in the evenings. The era of John von Neumann, James Dean and Steve McQueen, whose black 1958 356 A Speedster was his first new car. We recommend this one, totally ready to tour, rally or just cruise with friends in 2024.