The archetypal, unfiltered 1950s sports car
1957 Porsche 356A T1 Speedster

1,720cc Type 616/1 OHV Flat 4-Cylinder Engine (see text)
2 Solex PBIC Carburetors
75bhp at 4,500rpm (see text)
4-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

* The archetypal, unfiltered 1950s sports car
* Subject of a ground-up restoration
* Fitted with a correct-type, uprated motor
* Eligible for countless tours and events


THE PORSCHE 356 SPEEDSTER

The Speedster's inspiration was often credited to John von Neumann, Porsche's West Coast distributor, who had chopped down a Gmünd-built Coupe in the late 1940s to create a lightweight competition car. Explaining such a car's appeal Neumann once said: 'Guys want to go on a Saturday night in June, down Sunset Boulevard with their elbow over the door and the girls can see them in the car.' Plus ça change...

Instantly recognizable by its low, wraparound windscreen, smaller disappearing top, lower door waistline and twin bucket seats, the Speedster was, in effect, an 'economy' model intended to compete with less-expensive British sports cars. While the Speedster concept was von Neumann's, it was East Coast distributor Max Hoffman who convinced Porsche that American buyers would gobble it up. Initially offered with the 1500cc horizontally opposed four, it gained the new 1600, 60bhp engine with the introduction of the improved 356A for 1955.

Priced at $2,995, the Speedster was the lightest of the 356s, enjoying a commensurate performance boost that meant 100mph was possible. With its superb handling, the Speedster became an instant success in the burgeoning American sports car racing scene. Its combination of style, performance and value for money made the Speedster deservedly popular. Today the model enjoys iconic status and is cherished by collectors.


THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis number 83066 carries a history traceable to its very first sale: the Kardex on file confirms delivery through Hoffman Motors of New York on March 12, 1957, the storied Manhattan dealership that served as Porsche's principal East Coast representative during the marque's formative years in America. A letter on Porsche letterhead, signed by Jürgen Barth and dated September 19, 1975, further corroborates the factory colors – rot (red) over black leatherette, lending the car an uncommon degree of early documentation. The original windscreen includes parking stickers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1966 and '67.

Spending the vast majority of its life in the Midwest, it was acquired by the present seller in Chicago in August 2013 following extended storage in Missouri, the car subsequently underwent a thorough refurbishment spanning December 2016 to April 2023. Bodywork was entrusted to The Tin Man's Garage of Sycamore, Illinois, where the shell was stripped to bare metal, revealing that the car had left the factory in red. Structural repairs addressed prior rear-end damage of apparent track origin and encompassed replacement of the rear clip, passenger door skin, floors, and battery box. A two-stage repaint in black was executed by Posematos's Bodyworks and Restorations of Gurnee, Illinois.

While the original engine, no. 64715, is no longer with the car, correct-type motor now sits in the engine bay. The replacement Type 616/1 flat-four, no. 62349, was rebuilt and enlarged to 1,720cc, fitted with Wilhoit Auto Restoration cylinder heads, JE forged pistons, a DPR 74mm counterweighted crankshaft, and an LN Engineering camshaft. Induction is by dual Solex PBIC carburetors with Knecht air filters. The four-speed manual transaxle was rebuilt by 356 Works of Glenview, Illinois, in February 2016, while the drum brakes — overhauled by J&G Brake Drum Relining & Refinishing of McHenry, Illinois, in March 2020 — are equipped with Koni dampers at all four corners. A YnZ's wiring harness was installed in 2021.

The re-chromed ventilated steel wheels are shod with 165VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 tires, with a matching spare carried in the front boot. The tan leatherette interior — sourced from Autos International of Escondido, California, and fitted in 2021 — extends across the fixed-back bucket seats, rear bench, dashboard, and door panels, complemented by oatmeal square-weave carpeting and matching Coco mats. Green-letter VDO instrumentation -- restored by Palo Alto Speedometer -- includes a central tachometer, 120mph speedometer, and combination oil temperature and pressure gauge. In August 2025, the steering wheel rim, dash knobs, and door release trim were refinished in tan. The five-digit odometer reads just under 93,012 miles at the time of cataloging; the seller advises that 320 miles have been added since completion of the refurbishment.

Offered with a Kardex copy, the 1975 Barth letter, refurbishment photographs and records, a replica tool kit sourced from Harvey Rosenthal, the original windshield glass — bearing 1966 and 1967 Northwestern University parking decals, side curtains, half tonneau cover, and a car cover, this Speedster is ready for its next owner.