1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster by Reutter

1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster by Reutter
Sold for $253,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Amelia Island, Florida 2014
Chassis no. 82723
Engine no. 61856
60 hp, 1,600 cc OHV air-cooled horizontally opposed Type 616/1 four-cylinder engine, dual Solex carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with laminated torsion bars, parallel trailing arms, and tubular shock absorbers, independent rear swing axles with torsion bars and tubular shock absorbers, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 82.7 in.

•An extremely attractive restoration
•Stunning original color combination
•Consistent concours winner
•Porsche Certificate of Authenticity included


Porsche's beloved 356 Speedster, hurriedly conceived as a simpler, more affordable option in the fast-growing American sports car marketplace of the early 1950s, has become one of the most desirable collector cars in the world. Not quite 4,300 examples of these hand-built gems were produced between 1954 and 1958, and today, top-quality survivors command impressive prices.

Chassis 82723 is known to have left the factory on July 11, 1956, destined for the American market. The Certificate of Authenticity states that the car was delivered with U.S.-specification bumpers, with their distinctive aluminum vertical guards and protective steel front and rear over-riders, as well as sealed-beam headlights and coupe seats, which some buyers preferred over the Speedster's standard, thinly padded, competition-style buckets.

While its earliest history is unknown, it eventually came into the hands of marque expert and Speedster enthusiast Mike Colby at Auto Sports Exclusive in San Rafael, California. Colby relates that he purchased a pair of Speedsters from the Bay Area in 1989, and he kept this one to rebuild it. It was a prototypical "California Speedster," as its factory bumpers had been replaced with chromed nerf bars and it had been painted Rolls-Royce Gold. Colby stripped the car back to bare metal, repairing any damage and replacing the commonly rusted floor pans, longitudinals, and battery box. Not realizing that its coupe seats were factory-original and proper for this car, Colby replaced them with a pair of real Speedster bucket seats, along with correct 356 A bumpers and over-riders. The original engine, number 63358, had been replaced earlier in the car's life, but with the wrong type, so Colby located and installed a period-correct 356 A 1600 Normal (60 horsepower) motor.

In 1990, Colby sold his restored Speedster to a Seattle-area resident, who then moved to Iowa. It was acquired by Howard Byron, of the Washington, DC, area, in 2002, and he immediately began entering and winning numerous concours d'elegance. Several years later, Mr. Byron decided to have the car repainted again, since the older finish was showing some wear and tear. In a 2009 interview that was published in the newsletter of the Potomac Region of the Porsche Club of America, Mr. Byron described sending the car to paint expert Ken Windle, who was the shop manager of County Corvette, a well-known East Coast restoration facility. Because latter-day environmental regulations would not allow the use of the original factory metallic paint formula, Byron and Windle "reverse-engineered" the modern equivalent in order to use the earlier aluminum-dust-based formula, thus perfectly duplicating its factory paint.

This lovely, show-quality Speedster, presented in its original color combination of Aquamarine Blue Metallic with a beige leatherette interior, now displays 4,315 miles on its odometer (though not believed to be original), and it has accrued just a handful of miles since its engine was freshened.

This Speedster is ready to continue its concours-winning ways, provide its new owner with a wonderful entry for club tours, or simply take pride of place in any collection of landmark Porsche models.

Robert Myrick Photography