1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster
- Engine
- Air-cooled flat-four, 1.6L
- Colour
- Glacier White (very pale green special-order shade)
A 1957 Porsche 356 A 1600 Speedster that completed factory production on 15 May 1957 and was originally dispatched through a Bologna dealership finished in white over red vinyl. After spending the majority of several decades disassembled in a previous owner's garage, the car was acquired in 2020 by a specialist in 356 restorations, who completed a meticulous multi-year bare-metal refurbishment to factory standards, including a respray in special-order Glacier White. It subsequently won First in Class at the 2025 La Jolla Concours d'Elegance.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$423,000
- → 1957Factory deliveryAuto-Germa Bolognapartial documentation
Authorized dealership in Bologna through which the car was originally retailed upon leaving the factory in May 1957.
- → 2020Previous long-term ownerpartial documentation
Held the car for over four decades; during much of that time the vehicle sat in a garage in a disassembled state with components stored separately, following an incomplete restoration attempt.
- 2020-08-01 →Private saleConsignor, Porsche 356 restoration specialistfull documentation
Undertook a thorough multi-year rebuild after purchase, culminating in August 2024, returning the car to factory specifications in a special-order Glacier White finish with period-correct interior materials.
Competition
- 20252025 La Jolla Concours d'Elegance1st in class
Post-restoration debut appearance; the first-in-class award recognized the quality of the refurbishment work.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2020Restoration
Full bare-metal restoration commenced after acquisition, beginning with body stripping and structural metalwork as required. All original components were refurbished and refinished to factory standards.
Work was initiated by the consignor, a specialist in 356 restorations, following purchase in August 2020.
- 2020Bodywork
Bare-metal body repainted in Glacier White, a pale green special-order factory colour available from 1957 to 1959, departing from the original white delivery specification.
- 2020Bodywork
Interior fully retrimmed using German-sourced materials: tan carpeting, green vinyl on seats, door panels, rear panels, side curtains, and dashboard. Soft-top replaced in Haartz cloth with correct herringbone interior pattern.
- 2024Restoration
Multi-year refurbishment project completed, with numbers-matching engine and gearbox confirmed.
Restoration spanned approximately four years from acquisition to completion.
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