Porsche 356 Pre-A Speedster, 1955
Chassis No.: 80913 • Engine: Other • Transmission: Manual • Exterior: White • Interior: Red • Body: Speedster • California car • The car was previously kept in storage and disassembled • Extensively and correctly restored using its original components • Matching numbers 1500cc flat 4-cylinder engine • 4-speed manual transaxle • Reutter-built bodywork finished in White • Red upholstery with fixed-back bucket seats • VDO instrumentation • 2-spoke steering wheel • Headlight stone guards • Ventilated wheels with bright hubcaps • Vredestein tires • Front and rear bumper overriders • Beehive tail lights • Gold Porsche and Speedster badging • The Speedster featured a lower, raked windshield over the 356 Cabriolet • 1955 was the second year of the Speedster • Mille Miglia eligible In the mid-1950s, sales of European sports cars in the United States were booming. Market share belonged to the British imports such as MG and Triumph, whose roadsters were available below the $3,000 price point. Porsche’s cars were never inexpensive, and their only open-air model was the 356 cabriolet—handcrafted with an elegant insulated convertible top, plush adjustable seats, roll-up windows and a high sticker price. Max Hoffman, U.S. Porsche importer, convinced the factory to build a performance car to compete in the American market, but to do so, it needed an entry level price of $3,000, reduced weight, reduced center of gravity and improved aerodynamics, making it suitable for both competitive racing and street touring. The result was the Porsche Speedster—the epitome of automotive minimalism design and engineering. Weighing in at just 1,695 pounds, the car was well suited for competition and proved to be the scourge of the SCCA’s F Production racing class. With its low-slung windshield (3.5 inches shorter than the cabriolet) and racing-style bucket seats situated just above the floor pan, the Speedster just needed a roll bar and minor tweaks to become formidable in competition. It was also a major sales success and became an instant hit among the Hollywood movie crowd; both Steve McQueen and James Dean were often sighted driving their Speedsters along the twisties of Mulholland Drive and cruising the Sunset strip. An icon of automotive engineering and design, this 1955 Porsche 356 Pre-A Speedster is a numbers-matching example equipped with its original 1500cc flat 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission. One of just 1,034 built in model year 1955, this car presents in its Reutter-built bodywork finished in factory correct white. It features a red interior with the proper fixed-back bucket seats, VDO instrumentation, two-spoke steering wheel, headlight stone guards, chrome wheels, Vredestein radial tires, front and rear bumper overriders, beehive taillights, and proper gold Porsche and Speedster badging. https://www.mecum.com/lots/1175768/1955-porsche-356-pre-a-speedster
