1954 Porsche 356 Speedster Pre-A
- Engine
- 1.6L flat-four, Type 616/15, 75 hp (replacement unit from 1963 356 C)
- Colour
- Black
The 75th production example of the Porsche 356 Pre-A Speedster, chassis 80075, was dispatched from the Zuffenhausen factory on 8 November 1954 for delivery to Max Hoffman, Porsche's American distributor in New York, finished originally in Glasso Blau with basket-weave leatherette trim. Subsequently reimported to Europe in 2001, the car underwent a comprehensive restoration around 2006, emerging in black over red. The engine has been replaced with a 75 hp 1600cc Type 616/15 unit from a 1963 356 C, though the gearbox remains original per a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €336,000 (≈ $370K)
- 1954-11-08 →Factory deliveryMax Hoffman (Porsche US distributor, New York)full documentation
Vehicle dispatched from the Zuffenhausen plant to Hoffman's New York operation, prepared to American market specification including sealed-beam lighting and non-metric gauges.
- 2001 → 2006Acquisition unknownEuropean enthusiast (identity unrecorded)partial documentation
Brought the car back from the United States to Europe and held it for roughly five years before selling.
- 2006 →Private salePorsche collector (identity unrecorded)partial documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive restoration resulting in the current black-over-red livery; engine was rebuilt in 2009 and the original 1500cc unit replaced with a 1600cc Type 616/15 from a 1963 356 C.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2006Restoration
Comprehensive restoration carried out to the current configuration: black exterior paint, black folding hood and tonneau, red interior with square-weave carpeting, correctly finished 4J x 16-inch steel wheels with whitewall tyres, and ivory-coloured interior controls.
Commissioned by the 2006 Porsche collector owner. Instruments were also converted to metric units during this period.
- 2009Engine rebuild
Engine fully rebuilt; the original 1500cc unit had been replaced by a later 75 hp 1600cc Type 616/15 engine sourced from a 1963 Porsche 356 C. The gearbox was confirmed original by the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity.
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