A right-hand-drive Porsche Speedster is indeed a rara avis; only 19 are documented as having left the factory over the Type 540’s five-year production run. This example, chassis 80945, was the just the seventh of those. According to its factory Kardex, it left Zuffenhausen on 14 October 1955 and was shipped to the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, where it was delivered to Jebsen and Company, a Kowloon-based distributor of consumer and industrial goods. Just two years earlier, Jebsen had imported the first Volkswagen Beetle into Hong Kong.

A late-production Pre-A Speedster, this car was fitted with the larger 1600 Type 616/1 engine as found in the 356 A, making it a rare crossover between the 356 and 356 A. It was originally finished in Signal Red with a beige leatherette interior and fitted with a single Ponto-Stabil outside fender mirror and an odometer reading in miles. It was then sold to its first owner, L.M. Bertram of Essex Crescent in Kowloon. It was subsequently acquired by Hong Kong resident Michael J.E. Thornhill, who commissioned extensive mechanical work at Kowloon specialist shop German Motors. Mr Thornhill eventually decided to ship the Speedster to his farm in England, where it arrived and cleared customs on 22 November 1990. Although he wished to register the car in his daughter’s name and send it to South Africa, that plan did not come to fruition, and the Speedster was stored in a Lincolnshire barn, where it remained for some 25 years until it was acquired by the consignor.

When recovered, the car was in non-running condition. It was handed over to marque expert Andy Prill at Prill Porsche Classics in Halstead, Essex, where it was carefully surveyed. Prill relates that this extremely rare and desirable Speedster shows some significant surface corrosion, including on non-original replacement panels. As Prill has thoroughly inspected the car, his team has addressed some of the more pressing concerns, including the current reconstruction of a new dashboard, which had been modified by one of the previous owners.

As offered here, this very rare Porsche presents a great basis for a comprehensive restoration. The engine is the original as it left the factory, though the gearbox is noted as a later-type example. This Speedster is supplied with documentation, including a copy of the Kardex as well as a Certificate of Authenticity confirming its original engine and right-hand-drive specification.

Here is an unusual opportunity for the dedicated collector of early Porsches to acquire a true gem in the rough.