1958 Porsche 356 A Speedster

The brainchild of Max Hoffman, the legendary American distributor for Porsche, the Porsche 356 Speedster was conceived specifically for the US market and purpose-built to compete with inexpensive English sports cars from MG, Austin-Healey, and Triumph.

Debuted in 1954 with a base price of $2,995, the Speedster quickly became a club-racing contender upon its introduction, as well as a sales success. Its purposeful design and nimble handling made it a favorite among enthusiasts and amateur racers alike.

Stripped of extraneous items to save cost and weight, the Speedster featured modified bodywork, a removable windshield, lightweight bucket seats, and a rudimentary folding top with side curtains. A June 1956 road test by Car and Driver praised the revised 356 A Speedster, which ushered in numerous stylistic and mechanical changes. “The new Porsche 1600 is one of the world’s truly fine cars,” the magazine stated.

One of a mere 552 built for the 1958 model year, this Porsche 356 A Speedster is a US-specification model supplied new in January of that year to its first owner, Theodore Nix of Sharon, Connecticut, through Porsche’s European Delivery Program. According to its accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, it was finished in ivory over a red leatherette interior. It was equipped with US bumpers, sealed-beam headlights, an outside mirror, and safety belts.

In August 1987, Ernest Groves of Framingham, Massachusetts, became the third owner of this car. Mr. Groves, a former national secretary of the Porsche Club of America, commissioned a local specialist to perform an extensive restoration of the Speedster. The work, conducted between 1989 and 1992, included a bare-metal repaint in its current color of Elfenbein (DB 608), a Mercedes- Benz shade of slightly deeper and richer ivory.

In 2002, under new ownership, marque specialist Meister Restorations in Alton, New Hampshire, was enlisted to undertake a mechanical and cosmetic freshening. The interior was reupholstered in Cashmere leather, and a detachable Glasspar hardtop and wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel were sourced.

Illustrating the quality of the work performed, this Speedster has won multiple concours events, including the Porsche 356 Registry East Coast Holiday in 2002 and 2006; the Porsche Club of America New England Region Concours; and the National Museum of Transportation Concours, in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 2004–2008.

Since 2019, this fastidiously restored Porsche Speedster has been in the care of an avid California collector and racer, among his stable of vintage race cars and motorcycles. In the ensuing years, the 356 has benefited from regular use and mechanical servicing as needed.

This Speedster is offered with books, tools, jack, spare tire, luggage, hardtop, and receipts and documentation from new, including its original delivery papers. It has been continuously maintained and presents beautifully today. Possessing the very desirable attributes of documented provenance and an award-winning restoration, this stylish Speedster is ready for further concours showings or touring.