In 1954, Porsche introduced its delightful Speedster as a 1955 model. Essentially willed into being by the powerful New York-based foreign car impresario, Max Hoffman, as “price leader” in the sports car-hungry American market, this bare-bones little roadster proved to be extremely competitive both in the showroom and on the track. In effect a stripped-down Cabriolet with a removable windshield, the Speedster was devoid of almost every amenity for its base price of under $3,000 delivered in New York; even its heating system was an extra-cost option. A pair of simple side-curtains and a folding fabric top kept bad weather at bay. Basic single-piece buckets were installed in lieu of Porsche’s usual well-padded, adjustable seats.

Speedsters could be enjoyed as everyday transportation, then driven to local racing circuits—where owners would slap masking tape over the glass-covered headlamps, apply taped numbers to the doors and decklids, and line up on the starting grid. Speedsters quickly established themselves as the car to beat in under-2-liter US amateur racing. Serious drivers installed rollover bars, de-cambered the suspension, and fitted racing rubber. It usually took a Speedster to beat a Speedster; 60-horsepower “Normals” and 75-horsepower “Supers” competed in different classes, and both versions proved both dominant and reliable. Speedsters remained competitive in SCCA racing well into the 1980s, an incredible lifespan for a single model.

The Speedster offered here is an especially rare version, delivered new in Aquamarine Blue with the desirable and potent 1600 Super engine, chrome wheels, and the more comfortable and livable coupe seats, via the distributor in Munich. It eventually moved to the United States and in the early 2000s was restored to the present color scheme, black with a rich dark red interior. It joined a large collection in 2012, and was carefully maintained within.

With sport exhaust, nerf bar bumpers, and the correct Super hubcaps, it has a superb, purposeful appearance. Note that this car’s engine was replaced in period, as recorded in the Kardex copy on file. Its presently fitted unit, which has been re-stamped to match the numbers of the original-delivery engine, is of a later date but the correct displacement.

The word “iconic” is oft overused, but it certainly applies to the 356 Speedster, one of the most famous Porsches and inarguably one of the most significant, recognizable sports cars ever produced. This is a wonderful example of the famed 356 Speedster, with a Super engine and marvelous presentation sure to endear it to any Porsche enthusiast.