Initially offered with a 1500 cc flat engine, it received a new 1600 cc engine with the arrival of the 356 A starting in 1955. Priced at $2,995, the Speedster was the lightest of all 356 models, with a performance boost that allowed it to reach 160 km/h (100 mph). Thanks to its exceptional handling, it quickly became a benchmark in the emerging American motorsport scene. Combining style, performance, and value, the Speedster established itself as an iconic model — a status that remains deeply rooted in the minds of collectors.
Our example is one of the early models equipped with the 1582 cc OHC flat-four engine, producing 60 hp at 4,500 rpm ;the engine, number P63303, is indeed matching. Purchased over thirty-five years ago in the United States, the owner initially kept the car there to enjoy it during his frequent business trips across the Atlantic. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that he repatriated the car to Switzerland, before registering it at his secondary residence in northern Spain in August 2005.
Always well preserved as part of a major collection, this example has received meticulous care, either from the owner’s personal mechanic or the renowned Porsche specialist Nou Onze in Barcelona. A close inspection of the car reveals that original parts were retained and restored whenever possible, and when replacements were necessary, period-correct parts were favored over modern reproductions. The engine lid is original, as is the front trunk lid bearing the number 487.
Finished in black (originally Signal Red) with a beige leather interior and oat-colored carpets, this Speedster sits on correctly dated, restored 15-inch wheels fitted with Michelin XZX tires, which should ideally be replaced. Recently serviced ahead of the sale, this 356 Speedster is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic cars of the 1950s — if not the single most coveted 356 among collectors.
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