1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster

The 356 A Carrera GT Speedster is among the rarest and most coveted early Porsches. A lightweight, agile, and potent machine powered by the Ernst Fuhrmann-designed four-cam engine, it remains an undisputed technical tour de force. Also utilized in Porsche’s legendary 550 Spyder, this powerplant is among history’s most sophisticated production engines, employing four overhead camshafts driven by a series of bevel gears, twin-plug ignition, dry-sump lubrication, and an ultra-low friction Hirth roller-bearing crankshaft. In the 356 A Carrera GT, it produced approximately 110 hp and transformed the car into a formidable competition machine. ‌ This early-production 356 A Carrera GT Speedster, chassis 83780, possesses an exceptionally rich and fascinating history. Production records identify it as an original Carrera GT Speedster, of which fewer than 90 were produced, and show that it was originally finished in Silver Metallic over black leatherette and beige corduroy upholstery and delivered new to California-based privateer racer and accomplished Hollywood film editor Jimmy Moore. ‌ Moore was already an experienced competitor when he acquired 83780, having earlier campaigned a pushrod Speedster. Research compiled by noted Carrera historian and author Steve Heinrichs documents Moore’s nearly 30 competition appearances in 83780 from 1957 to 1959, including two overall victories, 8 first in class results, and an additional eleven podiums. Moore raced at many of the West Coast’s great period venues, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Riverside, with the Speedster often wearing Moore’s familiar no. 72. Fantastic period photographs from Moore’s racing accompany the sale. ‌ An article in Excellence magazine recounts the Speedster’s remarkable next chapter and the beginning of the current owner’s more than four decades of ownership. The consignor fell in love with the Speedster model while at PCA concours in 1982 and soon began a dedicated search for the right car. Eventually, he found one advertised in a Southern California newspaper. “The car had a Carrera emblem on the sides and back. At the time I didn’t know what a Carrera was and, fortunately for me, neither did the seller,” the consignor recalled. He bought the Porsche, and, upon investigating it more closely, discovered that he was the owner of an authentic Carrera GT Speedster, although it was powered by a 912 engine. ‌ Next began a decades-long process of restoration, research, and preservation. In a remarkable moment of happenstance, the consignor stumbled across the Speedster’s original engine, the number of which he knew by heart, while he was perusing an online Porsche parts website in 2003. He made a deal and had legendary Carrera specialist Gerry McCarthy, along with fellow specialist Jeff Adams, rebuild it and install it in the car. The Speedster has since been maintained by Jeff Adams, along with the team at Speedsport Tuning in Connecticut. ‌ During more than four decades of ownership, 83780 has appeared at major Porsche gatherings and concours events, including Rennsport Reunion, along with the Amelia Island and Greenwich Concours, earning multiple prizes. Significant in its specification, raced successfully in period, extensively documented, and reunited with its original four-cam engine, 83780 is a compelling example of a particularly rare breed. car

Estimate:£562,638.75

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