1957 356A Speedster

While initially, Porsche’s “bargain” 356, the Speedster was the car that was versatile enough for daily driver duties and weekend jaunts to the track. With its low-cut windscreen, bucket seats, and lack of creature comforts like roll-up windows, the 356 Speedster is now the “one to have” and sits atop the 356 hierarchy when it comes to pricing.

This 1957 356A Speedster came to market as part of the four-car Gruppe P Collection and is finished in its original color combination of Black over Red. The paint was refinished in 2013 and is still in very good condition. The interior is just as nice and features a wood-rimmed VDM steering wheel and green-lettered VDO gauges.

But what really sets this Speedster apart is what lurks beneath the rear decklid. While this example does include its original Type 616/1 engine and transaxle, it is currently powered by a 2.2-liter flat-four built by John Willhoit. Installed in 2020, the engine features twin Weber 44 IDF carburetors, Knecht air cleaners, and a five-row aluminum oil cooler. A 5-speed transaxle was also installed at that time as well as a Willhoit stainless steel exhaust system. I’ve never driven a Willhoit-built 356, but a friend who has one (and plenty of 356 seat time) waxes on about this being as close to driving perfection as one can get in a 356.

The market for 356A Speedsters has remained fairly flat over the last twelve months, with an average price of just over $330,000 and a high sale of $423,000 for a very nice ‘58 that sold during RM’s Monterey sale earlier this year. Prior to that sale, we had a few Speedsters sell for just over $500k during the previous Monterey auctions in 2022.

Our Spotlight car, on the other hand, sold for an eye-popping sum of $590,000, making it not only a new twelve-month high but a new five-year high as well. An older restoration like this with a numbers-matching drivetrain would command a reasonable price, somewhere probably in the $350-400,000 neighborhood. But add in the Willhoit hot-rodding, and well, you see the result for yourself. A pretty incredible result. Very well sold.

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