1955 Porsche 356 Speedster — Handmade Metal Model Car

Porsche's first car, in the form that made the company's name in America — stripped, low-screened, and built because a New York importer said he could sell it.

Handcrafted on an iron frame with rolling metal wheels and hand-painted finish, carrying the Speedster's cut-down windscreen and the smooth teardrop shape that has barely dated in seventy years.

Details

• 100% iron frame and body
• Metal wheels that roll
• Hand-painted with decal insignia
• Interior detail — seats, steering wheel, dash
• Exterior fittings welded
• Ready to display

The car

The Speedster exists because Max Hoffman, Porsche's US importer, told the factory that Americans wanted something cheaper and more spartan than the standard 356 cabriolet. Porsche removed the roof mechanism, cut down the windscreen, fitted bucket seats and dropped the price. It became the definitive Porsche of the 1950s — and the car James Dean was racing before he switched to the 550 Spyder.