Guide to
authentic Speedster detail
From Brett Johnson's Pictorial
Guide
The Speedster was conceived as
a lower cost version of the American Roadster. Both models were
referred to internally as Type 540. Speedsters were lighter in
weight and lower in cost than other models, making them more
useful in the budding club racing scene in thew USA.
In keeping with Max Hoffman's
idea that Americans were more attracted to names than numbers,
the Speedster proudly carried its name in Gold on each front
wing. The design of this script was changed to the familiar squared
letters approximately twenty cars into production. Other external
scripts on the Speedster were also gold-plated.
The steel body sharted the fron
body panels with contemporary coupes and cabriolets. Special
doors that sloped to the rear and carried no side windows aved
weight and cost. The rear wings and cowl were unique to the model,
but the engine lid and tail panel were shared with the cabriolet.
Speedsters were offered in only three colours and were painted
with enamel - other 356s were still finished in nitrocellulose
lacquer.
A number of the trim items that
were pioneered on the Speedster, eventually found their way onto
other models. The first of these was the anodised aluminium front
boot lid handle with the enameled Porsche crest. Also up front,
the sealed beam headlight units generally featured chrome-plated
cast grilles replacing the glass. Speedsters also had aluminium
and rubber trim strips on the rocker panels, which initially
were mounted diectly berlow the door gap, but by the end of the
model year, had been moved down by half an inch or so. The belt
line aluminium trim was also unique to the Speedster when it
was first introduced.
Wiper arms were shorter, but
blades were interchangeable with coupes and cabriolets. The chrome-plated
removable windscreen frame was mated to a lightweight top with
no headliner and side curtains. The top frame was also lightweight
and easily removed for racing. A half or full tonneau cover was
available.
The dashhoard was unique to the
Speedster. It features a hooded gauge cluster housing a speedometer,
tachometer and oil temperature gauge. Fuel guages were not fitted,
nor was a lighter or ashtray present. A gold and silver-plates
Porsche script adorned the dashboard opposite the driver. The
standard VDM steering wheel had a horn button but no ring. Alternative
steering wheels were oftern fitted as dealer options. Radios,
when fitted were typically installed in housinds under the dashboard.
Seats were small and lightly
padded buckets. Shortly into production in late November 1954,
paired hinges were added to the wood seat bases to allow access
to the rear interior compartment. There was no seat cushion,
but no rear seat back.
Engine compartment upholstery
was deleted, as was some of the interior tar paper sound deadening
found in other models.
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