"There are a number of companies who supply the kit, or a completed, 356 speedster replica but most follow the same formula. The chassis is a modified version of the original Volkswagen Beetle chassis. The original chassis is shortened and restored using new floor plans. Depending on the type of car, the chassis can feature the updated independent rear suspension of the Volkswagen 1303 Beetle. The body is hand-made by the kit provider and closely follows the original 356 Speedster body. The GRP body sits on a steel sub-frame. The body comes from a mould of an original 356 body, originals were hand-beaten from a wooden form. On top of those basic items, you can customise the car with the types of accessories you would like. You can customise the running gear, obviously the colour and look of the vehicle to suit your tastes, you would be hard pressed to achieve this level of customisation on a new car. The two main suppliers in the UK are Chesil Motor Company and Pilgrim Motorsports. In the United States the most accurate speedsters are created by Vintage Speedsters and JPS Motorsports. Jay Leno has a JPS speedster in his world-famous garage.
This left hand drive Porsche 356 Speedster Replica, fitted with a 1600cc Volkswagen Beetle engine, was purchased, and imported to the UK by the present owner in 2008 with 61 miles on the odometer. He purchased the car from the person who built it, an aircraft engineer, who lived in Florida and used some original Porsche 356 parts in its build, we are told that the steering wheel is original. According to the MoT history the owner had only driven about 550 miles before storing the car in 2019. This speedster replica is running but requires going through and some cosmetic restoration before going back on the road, the perfect project for the winter. Finished in the classic Porsche colour scheme of silver with tan interior and tan roof, this 356 replica is supplied with a UK V5 registration document which shows the make to be Volkswagen and the MoT test certificate history showing the little use that the car has had in the UK. This would make a fun and reliable car to take to any classic car event or just pop down the pub on Sunday.
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