1955 Porsche 356 Speedster - Professional Restoration. Estimate $240,000 - $260,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

Professionally restored to factory condition in 2015, this 1955 Porsche Speedster is an early “Pre-A” model with all the qualities that made Porsche a household name in 1950s American sports car racing. The Speedster was introduced in 1954 after New York importer Max Hoffmann convinced Ferry Porsche there was a market for his cars in the U.S. Ferry had told Hoffmann of his plans to sell perhaps five Porsches a year to the American market, to which Hoffmann famously replied, “I’m not interested unless I can sell that many per week!” By 1955 Hoffmann was selling fully 30 percent of Porsche’s output. The sporty Porsche America had preceded the Speedster, but when it proved too expensive even for Hoffman’s moneyed clients, he proposed a lightweight, spartan convertible priced to compete with the wave of British sports machinery arriving in America. The Speedster was based on the Cabriolet, but the similarities ended there. It was strictly a two-seater, with a low, chrome-framed windshield and a removable soft top and rudimentary side curtains. Lightweight seats, minimal interior trim and a plain dash contributed to saving 150 pounds and hundreds of dollars compared to regular-production Porsches, which were usually left behind the Speedster in heads-up competition. This 1955 Speedster’s excellent original body was stripped to bare metal and repainted in correct Ivory, then reassembled with factory-restored and re-plated hardware and a new wiring harness. In addition to a new Red interior, the car features many original components, including the engine and transaxle, doors, hood and engine cover, ignition switch, bumper guards, door handles, headlights and tail lights. The date-coded 16-inch wheels and restored “peashooter” exhaust are also original to the car, which is brilliantly finished throughout, with exacting fit and finish worthy of the Porsche name. Furthermore, this car is accompanied by a Porsche certificate of authenticity.

Mecum Monterey 2015