Estimate £25,000 - £30,000
1969/2007 Porsche 356 Speedster Evocation - Registration No: EFZ 727
Chassis No: 1103055020
MOT: Exempt
Nicely detailed and executed Evocation with pre-A 'beehive' rear lights etc
Volkswagen Beetle donor car
Part of the collection since 2016
Soft-Top included
Given the model's exalted status (and value), it is somewhat ironic that the Speedster was originally intended to be the least expensive way into Porsche 356 ownership. A direct response to mercurial importer Max Hoffman's request for an open-topped Zuffenhausen product that could be retailed for under $3,000, the pared back two-seater debuted in September 1954. Taking inspiration from the earlier, ultra-exclusive Glaser-built America Roadster - the two even shared the same Type Number (540) - the Speedster was productionised by Reutter. Utilising the same bodyshell as the existing Cabriolet, the newcomer did without a lined hood or wind-up windows employing a more basic soft-top and sidescreens instead.
Thinly padded bucket seats helped compensate for the 3.5-inch shorter windscreen and the simplified dashboard did without a glovebox.
The much vaunted purchase price of $2,995 POE (Port of Entry) New York included a speedometer and temperature gauge but not a tachometer or heater. Powered by 1500cc and later 1600cc air-cooled, flat fours, the Speedster remained part of the revamped Porsche 356A range and achieved some 4,243 sales. A true style icon, it vies with the BMW 507 and Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster as the epitome of 1950s Germanic cool and has inspired a number of replicas / evocations.
Utilising a Volkswagen Beetle donor, the identity of which still appears on its V5C Registration Document, this striking Porsche 356 Speedster Evocation is thought to have been completed during 2007. Finished in the handsome combination of Silver Metallic with Red leather upholstery, the 2+2-seater is powered by what looks to be a ‘crate’ motor (and thus lacks a distinct engine number). Re-registered as ‘EFZ 727’ since joining the William Hunt collection in 2016, the Speedster has been stabled alongside a wide variety of Porsche 911s. Nicely detailed with the earlier ‘beehive’ style rear lights and authentic instruments, it is currently running and driving but would doubtless benefit from recommissioning / going through prior to sustained usage. Offered for sale with sundry paperwork and soft-top.
