Makes › Porsche › 356 › 356 A Carrera GT Speedster · Rare specification · 1957–1959 Ultra Rare
Porsche
356 A Carrera GT Speedster
Lightened GT (competition) specification of the four-cam Carrera Speedster.
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 12 Built
- Years
- 1957–1959
- Engine
- Fuhrmann four-cam Carrera (Type 547) · 1,500 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1.5 L
- Power
- 82 kW / 112 PSFactory: 110 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Ernst Fuhrmann (Type 547 four-cam engine)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Carrera GT Speedster combined the 356 Speedster body with the racing-derived four-cam Carrera engine in its most competition-oriented, lightened form. Only about a dozen are believed to have left the factory in this configuration, against roughly 4,000 Speedsters overall.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0
Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 4.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package productioncars believed to have left the factory in this configuration | 121 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The four-cam engine, designed by Dr Ernst Fuhrmann, first appeared in the mid-engined 550 Spyder and raced in the Carrera Panamericana from 1953 to 1955, which gave the road cars their Carrera name. The GS road version used a slightly detuned engine, while GT engines had higher compression and wilder cam timing. GT Speedsters were further lightened, with aluminium-framed bucket seats, no heater and an 80-litre GT fuel tank, and several were delivered to US importer Max Hoffman in New York.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 356 A Carrera GT Speedster.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Fuhrmann four-cam Carrera (Type 547)2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Type 547/12 Independently researched |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 1,500 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1.5 L2 Independently researched |
| Bore | 85 mmFactory: 85 mm3 Independently researched |
| Stroke | 66 mmFactory: 66 mm3 Independently researched |
| Compression ratio | 9:13 Independently researched |
| Valvetrain | DOHC per bank (four-cam), dual ignition, dry-sump lubrication2 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | 2 Solex 40 PII carburettors, optional Webers3 Independently researched |
| Power | 82 kW / 112 PSFactory: 110 hp · converted2 Independently researchedStated for GT-form cars in general. |
| Power at | 6,200 rpm4 Independently researchedRM states this for the Type 547 four-cam engine in racing tune. |
| Torque | 119 NmFactory: 87.5 lb-ft · converted3 Independently researched |
| Torque at | 5,200 rpm3 Independently researched |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | 4-wheel fully independent torsion-bar suspension with shock absorbers5 Independently researchedStated for the 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster. |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Uprated front brakes; 60 mm ventilated front brakes listed as GT equipment on a catalogued car2,4 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Materials | Aluminium doors, front hood and engine cover (GT trim)2 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 838.2 kgFactory: 1,848 lb · converted3 Independently researched |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | 80 LFactory: 80 L2 Independently researched |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1957 Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster by Reutter | RM Sotheby’s Level C
- 12 cars believed to have left the factory in this configuration
-
2
1958 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1500 GT Speedster by Reutter (lot r0041) Level C RM Sotheby's
- racing Type 547/1 engine, later called Carrera
- model's Type 547/1 engines squeezed 110 horsepower from just 1,498 cubic centimeters
- 1.5-liter four-cam engine
- dry-sump lubrication and dual ignition
- Type 547/1 engines squeezed 110 horsepower from just 1,498 cubic centimeters
- GT cars ... gained uprated front brakes
- aluminum doors, an alloy front hood, an aluminum engine cover with side louvers
- 80-liter GT gas tank
-
3
Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT (1957 - 1958) Level B Stuttcars · 2010-02-02
- bore 85 mm
- stroke 66 mm
- compression 9:1
- 2 Type 40PII Solex Carburetors or Optional Webers
- 87.5 ft lbs @ 5200 rpm
- 1848 for the speedster
-
4
1957 Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster by Reutter (lot r0005) Level C RM Sotheby's
- about 110 horsepower at 6,200 rpm in racing tune
- 60 mm ventilated front brakes
-
5
FOR SALE: 1957 Porsche 356A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster Level B Stuttcars (text from Gooding & Company) · 2024-02-19
- 4-Wheel Fully Independent Torsion-Bar Suspension with Shock Absorbers
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