Vehicle Description
1957 Porsche 356A Speedster 4-Cam Carrera Spec
During the 1950s Max Hoffman, the sole importer of Porsche in North
America suggested to Ferry Porsche that a leaner, faster,
stripped-down model that could compete for heads up with British
sports cars, would be a success in the U.S. But did Max envision
this steroid-enhanced Speedster Outlaw? That's literally the
million-dollar question.
This 1957 Speedster Carrera-Spec Outlaw epitomizes the late 50s
white T-shirt and Levi jeans racing crowd. Its provenance, while
owned by a renowned race car driver and a world-famous designer and
inventor, includes a successful race record and awe-inspiring
competition in national concours events. Its brilliant Silver
Metallic exterior, stripped of unnecessary features like bumpers
and trim, but sporting touches like the aerodynamic side mirror,
epitomizes the ultimate GT silhouette. Its tan fabric top, black
leatherette seats, small diameter Nardi steering wheel, and
minimalist dash with a stubby hood shading only the most essential
VDO gauges, complete the Speedster's attitude. The undercarriage of
this Speedster shows no structural compromise, reflective of the
restoration and the care it received. AVON radial tires are mounted
on chrome-plated 4.5" x 15" wheels with 'Baby Moon' hubcaps. An
extractor-style exhaust exits unobtrusively beneath the rear
clip.
What lies beneath this Speedster's stunning shell tells an
important story. When Peter Jon Pearce, international designer, and
inventor, purchased the Speedster in 1985, the car was already
running the 4-Cam RS60/61 engine it currently has today. This is
the incredibly complicated, unbelievably fast, and extraordinarily
bullet-proof roller-crank 1750cc dry sump 547/5 engine that
Furhmann designed primarily for competition. Built for SCCA
production racing, the Speedster was updated with RSK brakes with
dual leading shoes, and a 741 transmission. The suspension featured
Koni shocks, an oversized front anti-sway bar, and finely-tuned
camber/caster geometries. Pearce went a step further by designing
and installing a uniquely-triangulated chrome-moly steel roll cage.
He also included a aluminum tonneau cover with an integrated
curvaceous windshield and tapered head fairing. The 4-cam engine
was rebuilt in 1990 by Al Cadrobbi, the result of which was a
beast, dyno'd at 175 HP @ 7,500 RPM. External oil coolers,
thermostatically controlled by a factory 904 unit, were mounted
inside the front fenders. Pearce raced the car between 1988 and
1994, notching many wins. After that racing stint, the engine was
again rebuilt, this time including a newly-manufactured roller
crankshaft from Karl Hloch, with new pistons and cylinders, new
valves, and a re-machined and line bored case by Ross Cummings at
Phil Riley & Co. Cosmetic 'freshening' of this Speedster resulted
in a Blue Ribbon Outlaw Class win at the 2018 PCA Werks Reunion in
Monterey, California.
What more can be said about this 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster
Carrera-Spec Outlaw? It is truly a spectacular machine that is
ready for top-tier historic racing, touring, rallying, or concours
competition. Included with the purchase of this Speedster is the
handmade aluminum hard shell tonneau cover with clear plastic
windscreen, a spare driver-side Plexiglas windscreen, two sets of
replica Speedster seats, a set of side curtains, a car cover, and
storage bag, the unique roll cage, assorted spare parts including a
competition exhaust, parts books, Carrera shop manual, a
California-registered, personalized California blue/yellow license
plate 356 GSGT, and...a hot-rodded, pushrod 912 engine
(748009.)
European Collectibles is a full restoration and sales facility
capable of metal fabrication and finishing, paint and body
preparation, and all facets of mechanical rehabilitation. European
Collectibles performs all restoration functions 'In House' to
enhance efficiency and assure the highest quality control.
