1957 Porsche 356 Speedster T-1/T-2 transitional
- Colour
- Bright red
A 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster of rare 'transitional' T-1/T-2 specification, combining early-type doors and handles with later T-2 teardrop taillights and licence-plate lamp. Originally finished in Silver Metallic and likely delivered via John von Neumann's California franchise, it spent roughly five decades with a single southern California owner who used it as daily transport. A ground-up bare-metal respray was carried out by Coachcraft Limited in Los Angeles in 1973, and the numbers-matching engine was subsequently fully rebuilt. The car carries period-style modifications and was featured in a published coffee-table volume on Porsche in the late 1980s.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$401,000
- 1957 →Factory deliveryAmerican first owner via John von Neumann franchisepartial documentation
Delivered new in Silver Metallic; likely acquired through the von Neumann Porsche franchise. Held for roughly 15 years before trade-in.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownBeverly Hills Porschepartial documentation
Received the car as a trade-in before selling it to the next owner.
- Date unknownPrivate saleSouthern California law student and long-term ownerpartial documentation
Purchased from Beverly Hills Porsche roughly 15 years after the car was new; used as an everyday vehicle for many years and retained for approximately 50 continuous years. Had the car repainted at Coachcraft in 1973 and the engine rebuilt twice during ownership.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1973RestorationCoachcraft Limited
The car was stripped to bare metal and refinished with six coats of bright red paint followed by a clear coat, over a period of more than twelve months. Floors, battery box, doors, and lids were confirmed solid and original, with correct chassis-number stamps present.
Work carried out by the Stoessel family's renowned Los Angeles restoration shop.
- —Engine rebuildThe Porschop
The top end of the engine was rebuilt by Bob Fern.
Work performed in the mid-1980s at the Culver City, California workshop.
- —Engine rebuildPorsche NARW
The numbers-matching engine was fully rebuilt to factory-original specification; approximately 2,000 miles recorded since this work was completed.
Carried out by Klaus Holthaus at Porsche North American Racing Works in Reseda, California.
- —Service
Routine servicing completed within approximately one year prior to the auction listing.
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