The spark that launched Porsche’s road racing dynasty began with the “Fuhrman engine” in the landmark 550 Spyder racecar. Bringing that engine to the 356’s option list in 1956 and calling it “Carrera” boosted Porsche’s racing pedigree while also setting the foundation for special high-performance Porsche models to come. The expensive and complex Carrera engine was rarely ordered when new, and cars so-equipped demand a huge premium in the collector car market today. A 1956 Porsche 356A Speedster Carrera offered by Mecum Auctions in Monterey is expected to sell for up to $1.2M, or nearly 400% more than a Speedster without it.
At last count, the Porsche North America website showed 27 members of the 911 family – twenty-seven! On May 7, that number will jump to 28 with the 2019 911 Speedster, which Porsche debuted at the New York International Auto Show in mid-April.
Porsche is teasing again. First shown as a concept in June, the 911 Speedster is now scheduled for production, and if you’re not already on the list to get one of the 1,948 being built for global consumption, well, there’s always the next-generation 911 coming down the pike.
