Porsche 356 Speedster 1956
The Porsche 356 was the first production car started by the company in 1948. Created by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche (son of the homonymous founder ), the 356’s body was an original design by the factory employee Erwin Komenda , while its mechanicals (including engine, suspension and chassis) were derived from the Volkswagen.
One of the most desirable collector models is the 356 "Speedster” which marked the production in 1954 with the first 200 exemplars. Max Hoffman, the sole importer into the U.S. distributed the car for $ 2,995; for that the new owner got small seats, a tiny top and small side curtain windows. This also provided a low amount of weight and took advantage of the Porsche’s engine.
In 1956 Porsche offered a coupé, cabriolet and speedsters models with bodies exclusively supplied by Reutter. American buyers had now three engine choices, while in Europe there were five available.
Speedster ‘ s production ceased in 1959 while in 1965 the latter car version was built, less than two years after the market replacement model 911.