1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster
- Engine
- Type 616/1 air-cooled flat-four, 60 hp (factory rated)
- Colour
- Red
A 1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster (T1) finished at the factory on 7 February 1957 in Signal Red with beige leatherette interior, this example spent approximately five decades in the care of Woodstock Music Festival co-creator Michael Lang before passing to a subsequent owner who commissioned a thorough three-year restoration by Belgian specialist Technique Historique. Original body panels with matching serial numbers survive throughout, and the car is accompanied by its factory Kardex and Certificate of Authenticity.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £320,000 (≈ $400K)
- —Auction saleEstimate €325,000 – €375,000
- —Auction saleSold £300,875 (≈ $376K)
- 1957-02-07 →Factory deliveryOriginal owner prior to Michael Langpartial documentation
First owner drove approximately 30,000 miles before selling. Car was repainted from factory red and interior changed from beige to black vinyl during or prior to this period.
- Date unknownPrivate saleMichael Langpartial documentation
Music producer and concert promoter who purchased the car from a small used lot in Mill Valley, Marin County, California for $3,500. Kept the car approximately 50 years, driving it regularly in good weather; a restoration attempt was begun but stalled, leaving the car in red primer before he sold it.
- Date unknownPrivate saleConsignorpartial documentation
A long-standing friend and music-industry colleague of Lang who acquired the unrestored car and commissioned a full three-year restoration by Technique Historique in Waterloo, Belgium, completed around 2017.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2014RestorationTechnique Historique
A comprehensive three-year restoration was carried out after the car was shipped to Belgium. All original body panels, including doors, engine cover, and front trunk lid, were retained with their serial numbers intact. Weber downdraft carburettors were fitted for improved usability, though the original twin Zenith units were preserved and are included. A replacement Sigla windscreen was installed in place of the cracked original. Underside, suspension, and interior were all refinished to original specification.
Workshop located in Waterloo, Belgium; specialist in Porsche. Engine case is believed original but carries a re-stamped number, apparently having been replaced early in the car's life; engine internals are considered original.
- —Bodywork
At some point during early ownership the car was repainted away from its factory Signal Red finish, and the interior was reupholstered from original beige leatherette to black vinyl.
Timing unknown; noted as pre-dating Michael Lang's purchase.
- —Restoration
A partial restoration attempt was undertaken while Lang owned the car; the vehicle was left in red primer at the restoration facility for several years without completion, after which Lang retrieved it.
Lang was dissatisfied with the lack of progress and reclaimed the car before the work was finished.
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