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This 1958 Speedster has come along way, a Cinderella story you might say.

Elaine Gale found this Speedster abandoned in an open lot in Vero Beach, Florida some 25 years years ago.  When she got home she couldn’t wait to tell her husband about the poor little 356 she had found.  The next day she and Jack hunted down the Speedster’s owners and a deal was struck.  Jack and Elaine knew just the right people to restore their matching number beauty.  Harvey and Linda Smith in Cave Creek, Arizona were called upon to bring this Speedster back to her original glamorous self.  The Smiths worked tirelessly for almost two years and then nearly missed the ball, “the ball” being the 1992 Porsche Parade in Boston.  Not atypically, the Smiths arrived at the eleventh hour still working on the details.  The Parade went well indeed with the little beauty winning People’s Choice in her very first outing.  She then traveled back to Arizona for additional tweaking.  In 1993 at the Cincinnati Parade she won the 356 Division in Full Concours, no small feat.  The Manhattan Trophy for Best-in-Show that year went to a brand new car that had only delivery miles, was taken apart, and prepared to the tens.  The Gales became disenchanted with concours where you had to compete with new cars; consequently they sold this Speedster.  The car’s history then takes a couple of turns and it virtually vanished for over ten years.  One Sunday morning it appears on EBay!  We looked at the pictures and found no flaws to pick so we hit the buy it now price and anxiously awaited its arrival.  The wait was full of anticipation and as she rolled off the truck there was Cinderella, once more in the lime light.  While strolling through a Barns and Noble a few months later, out of the corner of my eye I see her again, this time on the cover of Ultimate Garages II, a hardbound book to warm any car junkie’s heart.  I immediately purchased the book and brought it over to our Cinderella.  A late decision was made to show her one more time at the San Deigo Parade in 2007 but time was short.  With only two days of preparation the 25 year-old restoration was good enough to score over 288 points (out of 300 possible) and place her in a spotlight one more time.  Jack and Elaine Gale and Harvey and Linda Smith should look upon their Speedster like proud parents.  Not many restorations can stand the test of time. In this case all you can say is that she has aged well indeed.

Model:  1958 Porsche Typ 541 “356A Speedster”

Serial Number:  84678

Colors:   Fjord Green, tan interior with green piping      

Engine: Typ 616/1 1600 Normal, s. n. 69097   

Gearbox: Typ 644 

 B.  Features/options/equipment:

-         U.S. bumper and over-riders; U.S. lights.

  Concours History:

-         Jack and Elaine Gale, Ft Pierce FL – People’s Choice Award, 1992 PCA Parade, Boston MA;             Division 1 Winner 1993 PCA Parade Cincinnati OH.