In 1955, Porsche fitted a 356 Speedster with the competition-derived, four-cam Carrera engine for the first time. The result was a brilliant dual-purpose sports car that, in later stages of development, became a true giant-killer.
Beginning in 1957, Porsche offered a GT option for the 1500 GS Carrera model. Initially, the option referred only to the engine’s state of tune; however, in time, Carrera GS/GTs were equipped with competition features including 80-liter endurance fuel tanks and 60 mm racing front brakes. For 1958, Porsche began to offer GS/GT Carreras with alloy panels, alloy-rimmed wheels, and louvered deck lids, creating an ultra-lightweight and virtually unbeatable package. In this form, the Carrera Speedster proved so popular that Porsche continued to build examples into 1959, after production of the standard Speedster model had ceased.
Between 1955 and 1959, Porsche built just 151 Carrera Speedsters, a figure that accounts for approximately 3% of total Speedster production. Of these, fewer than 90 were specified in competition-ready GS/GT trim and even fewer – approximately 56 in all – left the factory with lightweight aluminum body panels. These late-production, alloy-paneled GS/GT Speedsters, particularly the final examples equipped with the 1600 cc plain-bearing Type 692/3 engines, are the most desirable of all.
The GS/GT Speedster presented here, chassis 84939, is one of only 14 such cars built in 1959. Its history can be traced back to the original owner, William Linder of Columbia, South Carolina.
In the late 1950s, Linder was stationed in Germany, serving in the US Army as a lieutenant in the 11th Airborne Division. In Europe, he developed a love for sports cars and even enjoyed a brief racing career. After a few outings in his Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, Linder purchased this GS/GT Carrera Speedster, which was delivered new to Glöckler’s Frankfurt dealership in May 1959.
According to a copy of the factory Kardex, this Carrera Speedster was originally finished in Silver Metallic with black upholstery and equipped with a roll bar, VDM steering wheel, external mirror, Continental Super Record tires, and Type 692/3 engine, no. 95031. Between July and August 1959, Linder raced this Porsche at Solitude and Avus in Germany, Zandvoort in the Netherlands, and Monza in Italy. Period photographs show the Porsche in competition wearing its “US Forces in Germany” road registration plates.
It is believed that Linder eventually got in an accident with the Speedster, as the Kardex notes an Ersatzkarosse, or replacement body shell, numbered 13052. According to Rolf Sprenger and Steve Heinrichs’ definitive book, Carrera, this replacement shell was a Coupe that remained a separate car. The Speedster was simply repaired and sold, eventually settling in Southern California.
By 1982, 84939 was owned by Tom Nuckols of South Pasadena, California. He advertised it for sale in the August/September 1982 issue of the Porsche 356 Registry magazine. By this time, the Speedster was in a state of disrepair, sporting a T-5 front clip and a disassembled Carrera engine in a box.
In January 1983, the Speedster was sold to pioneering collector Gerry Sutterfield. In addition to owning some of the greatest racing Porsches, Mr. Sutterfield was an early member of the Ferrari Club of America and served as the club’s third national president in 1969–1970. Mr. Sutterfield’s successor as FCA president, Fred Leydorf, purchased the Carrera Speedster from him in April 1983. It has been a fixture in his collection ever since.
The restoration progressed slowly, leading Mr. Leydorf to jokingly refer to it as “the eternal project.” The first step was to send the car to well-known California body specialist Bob Marianich, who completely disassembled and painstakingly restored the Speedster, repairing and retaining as much original material as possible, including the original numbered doors and deck lid. A correct, unnumbered type 692/3 engine case was sourced from four-cam specialist Vernon Crotts, and any missing original GT components were collected from fellow Porsche collectors. The processes finally picked up steam in the early 2000s, with local specialists including Dunham Automotive Ltd. of Ontario, Canada, and Terry Myr of Port Huron, Michigan, overseeing the final stages.
Since the restoration’s completion, the Speedster has been shown on rare occasions, including the 2017 Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance, where it earned both First in Class and the Howard Rapp Award for Best Porsche.
Finished in Rosso Chiaro (Light Red), the same vibrant red as Mr. Leydorf’s Ferrari 375 MM, the Carrera Speedster is outfitted with a period fiberglass hardtop, wood-rimmed steering wheel, and Marchal driving lights, and is accompanied by a tool roll and copy of the factory Kardex.
It is a rare occasion when a late-production GS/GT Carrera Speedster appears for public sale. Considering 84939’s period racing history, high-quality restoration, and more than four decades in Fred Leydorf’s collection, this car’s availability represents a significant opportunity for serious Porsche aficionados.
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