Porsche 356 Speedster, 1955
Porsche 356 II (A)
Porsche 356 II (A)•
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Chassis No.: 81083
- Exterior: Black
- Interior: Black
- Rear engine sports car design
- Produced between 1950-1955
- Presented in late 1954 after Max Hoffman, the sole U.S. merchant of Porsche, prompted the organization that a lower-cost, open top rendition could sell well in the American market
- Engine no. P81044
- Dual Zenith carburetors
- Transmission no. 7393
- Low raked windshield
- Basin seats
- Collapsing soft top
This black-on-black 1955 Porsche Speedster is of the first generation of the A series 356 Porsche, and it is immediately identifiable by its twin beehive tail lights, downward-facing rear license-plate illumination light and curved rocker panels. Porsche built the Speedster at the bequest of Max Hoffman, the sole U.S. distributor for Porsche during the era. His directive was to build a minimalist Porsche that could sell at the $3,000 price point to challenge the plethora of inexpensive British sports cars.
Porsche responded by taking a cabriolet body and making the following changes: installing a laid-back and low-slung removable windshield, removing the side window glass and winding mechanism and replacing them with simple side curtains, replacing the touring seats with racing-style bucket seats, substituting the elegant retractable cloth top with a simple but rudimentary vinyl top, and simplifying the dashboard with a three gauge cluster. The new Speedster sold for $2,995 P.O.E. (Port of Entry) but was equipped with a mandatory $15 tachometer option, making the base price of $3,010.
Not only was it an immediate sales success, but the racing community was thrilled that the new, affordable Porsche was the perfect platform for competition; it weighed 230 pounds less than the coupe and had a more streamlined shape by virtue of its lower windscreen. The coachbuilders delivered the same level of careful precision expected from well-crafted German automobiles. The result was a lighter vehicle that still had the feeling of quality. This car is an amazing specimen, especially considering its age and limited production. Equipped with Engine No.
P81044 with dual Zenith carburetors and Transmission No. 7393, this triple-black Speedster represents the emergence of the Porsche marque into the consciousness of the American market, where it would find amazing success in sports car competition and become a status symbol along beach communities of Southern California. It defined “cool” with the list of Porsche Speedster owners including Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and James Dean.
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