A lot of cars can be called classics or highly desirable, but few have achieved the cult following required that they can be called a legend. The Porsche 356A Speedster is one of those such cars.

First produced in Austria from 1948-49 and then in Germany from 1950-55, the 356 was Porsche’s first production car. It was built specifically with speed in mind and, in an era when many other automotive manufacturers were employing larger engines to gain performance, Porsche concentrated on balance and lightness to achieve the same goals. Its elegant but aluminium body was manufactured by hand, weighing 160 kilograms less than the 356 Coupe. The Coupe was developed for the US market and was built only 16 times. In 1956 Porsche debuted a revised version dubbed the 356A, and while it looked reasonably to similar the original 356, a lot of revisions had been made. However, the downside to the new 356A, as well the previous 356 Coupe, was that it was expensive.

Enter US importer Max Hoffman. It was he who convinced Porsche there was a market for their cars in America. He requested an inexpensive Porsche with reduced furnishings costing less than 3,000 dollars. In autumn 1954, Porsche produced a significantly less expensive version with only the bare necessities, including ‘Speedster’ in the model name for the first time. ‘Years ahead in engineering, miles ahead on the road’ was the slogan used by Hoffman in his launch advertising campaign for Road & Track magazine (1955). The 356 1500 Speedster quickly caused a sensation in the world of motorsports and became an instant hit in the sunny coastal states of the US, where its basic configuration and lack of advanced weather equipment was more than appropriate and still is to this day. Hollywood icon James Dean also owned a Speedster, only furthering its image. Its most notable features include a low-cut and rounded front windscreen, a lightened body, and special gearing – undoubtedly the primary reasons as to why the Speedster was widely loved by racers. Other unique features included bucket seats and a very simplified dashboard that was inspired by Porsche Spyder race cars that were available at the time. The interior was about as simplistic as it could get, featuring a large, two-spoke steering wheel, three round gauges in the dash, and just a handful of buttons in the entire cabin.

El 356A Speedster estaba propulsado por un motor bóxer de cuatro cilindros y 1,6 litros con árbol de levas central y válvulas en cabeza. La potencia se transmitía a las ruedas traseras a través de una caja de cambios manual de cuatro velocidades. Aunque sus 60 caballos de potencia no son nada comparados con los coches deportivos actuales, el 356A Speedster era bastante ligero, con solo 1750 libras, y esa potencia era suficiente para impulsar el coche a 60 mph en unos 13,9 segundos. Recorría un cuarto de milla en poco más de 19 segundos, mientras que la velocidad máxima del coche era de solo 99,4 mph.

La popularidad del Speedster no ha hecho más que aumentar desde su lanzamiento en la década de 1950 y, en los últimos años, se ha convertido en el objeto de deseo de diversas empresas dedicadas a la fabricación de réplicas. En Estados Unidos, su precio de venta al público era de tan solo 2995 dólares estadounidenses. Hoy en día, para adquirir un Speedster auténtico en perfecto estado, el precio en una subasta superaría el medio millón de dólares.

Esta magnífica maqueta a escala 1:18 es de la variante Tipo 2 (o «T2»), revisada en 1957 para incorporar los tubos de escape a través de los protectores traseros del parachoques. La versión Speedster ofrecía algunas diferencias significativas con respecto a sus hermanos coupé y cabriolet, con un parabrisas bajo y extraíble para las carreras de fin de semana, asientos de cubo fijos y cortinas laterales en lugar de ventanas enrollables. El «T2» también se benefició de una serie de mejoras en la caja de cambios, el embrague y la dirección, que lo hicieron más fácil y agradable de conducir.

This model of the Porsche 356A has been handcrafted and finished in Amalgam’s workshops with the co-operation and assistance of Porsche regarding original finishes, materials, archive imagery and drawings. The use of supremely accurate digital scanning of the original car has allowed for perfect recreation of every detail at scale. Furthermore, it has undergone detailed scrutiny by both engineering and design teams to ensure complete accuracy of representation. Every Amalgam 1:18 scale model is supplied in a luxury black box with a protective outer carrying sleeve. Each model is mounted on a polished black acrylic base protected by a clear acrylic dust cover. The base holds a booklet containing the certificate of authenticity along with information and collateral material about the car. The model title and original branding is displayed on a polished stainless steel plaque mounted at the front end of the base.