Beschreibung:

1957 PORSCHE 356A SPEEDSTER Chassis No. 83724 Engine No. 821574 Black with black interior Engine: horizontally opposed, overhead-valve, four cylinder, air cooled, twin Solex carburetors, 1,582cc, 95bhp at 5,800rpm; Gearbox: four-speed manual; Suspension: independent front and rear; Brakes: four wheel drums. Left hand drive. When the Porsche 356 was introduced, the motoring press responded to it with a positive and strong reaction. In a 1955 article on the sporty new cars published in Autocar the writers raved, ...to drive a Porsche is to experience a new form of motoring, so refreshingly different is it from the usual run of vehicles. The reaction was so consistent across the board and the little cars gained themselves a loyal crowd of their own. Over the course of the next several years Porsche altered the body designs only minimally, and rather than implement drastic body changes, they offered a variety of powerplant choices instead. Additionally, minor styling improvements like the one-piece windshield and deluxe wheel caps were also adopted and smoothed the car's overall look. The braking and suspension systems were also improved and gave the car a much improved ride. This stunning black Speedster appears to be a very sound example which has benefited from a considerable amount of work in recent years. In 1996 the car was subject to a full bare metal repaint at a cost of some $6,000. During early 1998 the engine was removed and fully rebuilt by a Porsche Engine Specialist company. Work included a new camshaft, pistons, bearings, valves and all the related ancillaries. At the same time the front suspension was overhauled, the electrics were checked and the heating system was also upgraded. This work cost a further $12,000. In late 1998 a further $4,600 was spent overhauling the brakes, replacing the exhaust, adjusting the rear suspension and providing an engine tune. Last summer the floors were replaced for an additional $2,600. On a recent inspection this Porsche was impressive to the eye and clearly testified to the recent work mentioned above. The current owner purchased the car in California in July 1993 and it still carries its black California plates. The owner has several homes and has recently garaged the car quite close to Tarrytown for occasional use in the summer months. Being a late 1957 T2 model, this Speedster has the more desirable belly pans, door strikers and rear teardrop lights. Although the engine is not original to the chassis, it is in fact a desirable later model, its engine number dating it from the 1963/64 SC model year. This engine will produce some 25 more bhp over its 1957 original unit and the Porsche engineers had by this time refined the cams and timing, making this engine more reliable and able to hold its tune much better. With its higher horsepower engine, this Speedster should offer spirited performance matched by its attractive styling.