GOING GOING GONE – THE PORSCHE 356A SPEEDSTER

Recently up for sale was an extraordinary piece of automotive achievement that was made over 60 years ago and probably won’t be available for another 60 years. The Porsche 356A Speedster is a supremely rare RHD T2 1600 with an Aquamarine Blue exterior, tan leather seats, an MPH speedometer and 1600cc flat-4 engine. It was originally owned by some lucky bastard here in Australia and spent over five decades undergoing restorations on our fine continent before being shipped to the UK in 2012. The original features of the 356A Speedster have been painstakingly maintained over time and whoever owns it now is yet one more lucky bastard.

What makes this Speedster even more special (aside from its insane rarity) is the fact that the 356 models were the first cars to grace the Porsche name. It all goes back to 1948 and a man named “Ferry” Porsche–son of Volkswagen and Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche–who wanted to upgrade the features of the company’s VW Beetle for optimal speed and performance. This led to a new beast entirely that went well beyond a stronger engine, flaunting a unique chassis, only 2 seats, and a supremely lighter body. It was only natural that the premium new car receive a premium new name and the Porsche 356 was born.

The 356 yielded four different series (pre-A through C) and stopped production in the mid-60s. Among the various models and styles the sporty Speedster with its bucket seats and special gearing has become one of the most sought after, coveted by race car drivers and automotive enthusiasts alike. Only 3677 Speedsters were produced overall and among those only 22 were RHD versions. To whoever bought this wonderful piece of history, we really like your style. Now how about a lift?