Max Minshull
Associate Specialist
LOT 22
1956 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Speedster Coachwork by Reutter Chassis no. 82311
Estimate: US$400,000 - US$450,000
Lot 22
1956 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Speedster
1956 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Speedster
Coachwork by Reutter
Chassis no. 82311
Coachwork by Reutter
Chassis no. 82311
1,600cc Type 616/1 OHV Flat 4-Cylinder Engine (see text)
2 Solex PBIC Carburetors
95bhp at 4,500rpm (see text)
4-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
* Among just 645 1600 Super Speedsters built for 1956
* Reputed SCCA competition history
* Concours-quality restoration by marque specialist Gary Kempton
* Extensively documented ownership and restoration history
THE PORSCHE SPEEDSTER
As Porsche's official importer to the United States, Max Hoffman recognized that the American market wanted something leaner and racier than the standard 356. His answer, introduced in 1954, was the Speedster: stripped of superfluous weight, fitted with a low, raked and easily removable windshield, lightweight bucket seats and a minimal folding top with side curtains. The result weighed nearly 200 pounds less than the coupe and was correspondingly quicker, and it was an immediate success on both road and track.
With the arrival of the 356 A in 1955 came the enlarged 1,582cc engine, and with it the option of the Type 616/2 Super unit. Rated at 75bhp against the standard 60, the Super transformed the Speedster from a spirited road car into a genuinely competitive one. Only 645 examples of the 1600 Super Speedster were built in 1956, the $500 premium over the standard car being, in the parlance of the day, what separated the men from the boys.
THE CAR OFFERED
Chassis 82311 was originally delivered April 5, 1957 through Hoffman Motor Cars to the American market as a white over black "Super" Speedster optioned with US gauges and sealed beam headlights. Reportedly the Speedster spent the first fifteen years of its life exactly as its maker intended: racing in SCCA competition as many other Speedsters did when new. No trace of that hard-fought early career remains today, however, the car having been the subject of an exacting restoration by the widely respected late Porsche specialist Gary Kempton of Crawfordville, Florida in the early 2000s.
Conceived as Kempton's own testament to the marque and executed with a series of subtle but effective upgrades, the car is finished in shimmering Adria Blue over a contrasting gray leather interior. While at first glance it might appear a beautifully presented but otherwise standard Speedster, closer inspection reveals its finer points. Beneath the engine lid, the later 356 SC sourced hot-rodded air cooled flat four, recently serviced by renowned Porsche mechanics Scott's Independent of Anaheim, California, gives a healthy shove of torque and about 95 horsepower. Transferring this power to the road is a later Type 741 356 C derived gearbox. The candle-like lighting provided by the original 6-volt system has been replaced by a more reliable 12 volt system, and the interior has been upgraded to gray leather. Completing the elegant look, this Speedster rides on a brand-new set of reproduction Rudge knock-off wheels.
Following its restoration, the car has passed through a succession of knowledgeable Porsche enthusiasts and has been widely profiled appearing on the cover of 356 Registry magazine and being featured in 911 & Porsche World. It is accompanied by the Rudge wheel knock-off tool, a set of side curtains, and photographic documentation of the restoration conducted by Gary Kempton.
A desirable Super Speedster restored to an exceptional standard by one of the marque's most admired specialists, chassis 82311 represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the most charismatic sporting Porsches of the 1950s.
Additional information
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