1955 Porsche 356 'Emory Special' Outlaw Coupe
- Engine
- 1.5L SOHC horizontally opposed four-cylinder (derived from sectioned 901/911 six), twin Weber 48 IDA carburetors, 137 bhp
A heavily modified 1955 Porsche 356 coupe built by Gary and Rod Emory of the renowned 'Outlaw' customising tradition, commissioned and completed for Florida airline pilot Jeff Hathorn. The car features a bespoke Dean Polopolous 'Polo' four-cylinder engine derived from a sectioned 911 six, a five-speed 901 gearbox, Brembo disc brakes, and a removable roof panel. It set an unofficial E/GT class one-way speed record of 151.52 mph and subsequently won a concours first place at Brumos Porsche Octoberfest in 2004.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$258,500
- → 2007Private saleJeff Hathornpartial documentation
Florida-based airline pilot who purchased the unfinished coupe from the Emorys and funded its completion, including roll cage, custom drivetrain, and chassis setup by Heritage Motorcar Restorations in St. Petersburg.
- 2007 →Private saleCurrent vendorpartial documentation
Acquired the completed car directly from Jeff Hathorn.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownGary and Rod Emorypartial documentation
The Emory father-and-son team began building this coupe as Gary's personal vehicle, intending it as a companion to a cabriolet built for Rod. The project was set aside before completion.
Competition
- 2004Brumos Porsche Octoberfest Concours 20041st place
- 20042004 Daytona Rennsport Reunion
- —Unofficial E/GT Class Speed Record RunUnofficial one-way record of 151.52 mph in E/GT class
Following this speed run the engine was fully rebuilt, the body resprayed, and chassis work undertaken at Heritage Motorcar Restorations.
Maintenance & restoration
- —ModificationEmory Motorsports
Comprehensive build-out including installation of a full roll cage and sub-frame reinforcement, bodywork smoothed to reduce aerodynamic drag with a removable roof panel added, suspension lowered and modified for improved handling, and four-wheel Brembo disc brakes sourced from an early Boxster fitted alongside bespoke 16x7 wheels.
Work was commissioned and financed by Jeff Hathorn to complete the previously unfinished Emory project coupe.
- —Engine rebuild
A bespoke four-cylinder SOHC unit ('Polo' engine) constructed from a shortened 901/911 six-cylinder block with the central cylinder pair removed, fitted with a Velasco billet crankshaft, J&E pistons in Mahle cylinders, Elgin camshafts, twin-plug heads, twin Weber 48 IDA carburettors, and a custom Bursch exhaust; rated at 137 bhp. Paired with a 901 five-speed gearbox using a 904 mainshaft and custom ratios.
Engine designed and built by Dean Polopolous.
- —Engine rebuild
Complete engine rebuild carried out following the car's speed record run.
Performed after the unofficial E/GT class record attempt.
- —Bodywork
Full body strip and repaint carried out after the speed record attempt.
- —MechanicalHeritage Motorcar Restorations
Chassis setup and preparation work completed after the speed record run.
Workshop located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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