1955 Porsche 356 Speedster pre-A
- Engine
- 1.6L air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder, OHV, two Zenith carburettors, 95 bhp
- Colour
- Aquamarine (Code 607)
A 1955 Porsche 356 pre-A Speedster, one of only 1,233 built, originally delivered in white for the US market via Max Hoffman's New York agency. After decades in California ownership, it underwent a thorough restoration by 356 specialist Kermit Heim in Florida during 1986–1988, earning a perfect 100-point score at Werksfest in 1989. The car is currently finished in period-correct Aquamarine with a tan interior and is fitted with an uprated SC engine; the original matching 1500cc unit is included.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €225,000 (≈ $248K)
- 1955 →Factory deliveryFirst US owner via Hoffman New York agencypartial documentation
Car was delivered new through Hoffman's New York dealership configured for the US market; identity of this first owner is not recorded in the prose.
- → 1984Acquisition unknownA. Pettyjohnpartial documentation
Resident of Sunland, California; earliest surviving registration documents show this person as owner in 1984.
- 1984 → 1986Private saleLouis Nellipartial documentation
Resident of Chatsworth, California; acquired the car in 1984 before it moved to the East Coast.
- 1986 →Private saleKermit Heimfull documentation
A 356 devotee based in Tampa, Florida, who undertook a thorough two-year restoration achieving a perfect concours score in 1989; retained the car until his death, after which it passed to the current owner from his estate.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Acquired the car from Heim's estate; car currently carries UK registration and is presented in Aquamarine with period-correct fittings.
Competition
- 1989Werksfest 1989 Concours100-point perfect score
Result was independently noted in the October 1989 Porsche Club of America magazine; car had been fully restored by Kermit Heim prior to the event.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1986RestorationKermit Heim (private)
Comprehensive two-year restoration carried out by Kermit Heim, resulting in a concours-standard finish that earned a perfect 100-point score in 1989. The car was refinished in red with a tan interior during this work; it later appeared in a 1990 sale listing describing it as having a colour-sanded finish and NOS ancillaries.
A 1990 advertisement in The 356 Registry Magazine described the car as an unmolested California/Nevada example fitted with a 1600S engine and accompanied by its unrestored original 1500 unit.
- —Modification
A new Dansk sports exhaust system fitted to the car.
- —Mechanical
Both Zenith carburettors recently rebuilt and overhauled.
- —MechanicalNorth Hollywood Speedometer
Instruments professionally restored by a marque specialist.
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