As part of our series on contemporary speedsters, this episode concerns a current world crisis and how the fans of speedsterism are working to address the pandemic known as COVID-19…
The Setting
The world has been awash with anxiety over the novel COVID-19 virus that has swept the planet’s human population in just five short months since December 2019 and culled hundreds of thousands of innocents, victims of this terrible disease.
In reaction to callouts for help in any manner from agencies across the United States and the world at large, Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) decided to secure the last of the 2019 911 Speedsters being produced and offer it at auction. The (final sale price) proceeds of the auction would be donated directly to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund effort.
Porsche 911 Speedster Number 1948 of 1948; last one off the production line in 2020. 911 Speedster photos courtesy Porsche AG
The announcement was made on April 10, 2020, and the auction commenced on April 15, with RM Sotheby’s hosting a seven-day online auction. At the auction’s close on Wednesday, April 22, the gavel fell on $500,000 USD (auction fees and taxes are extra). Congratulations to the winner of a monumental car!
However, the event wasn’t yet over, as PCNA decided to step up big and double the proceeds by donating an additional $500,000 to make the total $1 million! As RM Sotheby’s wrote in their press release of April 23, “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all bidders as we witnessed the generosity of the collector car community while bringing funding and awareness for the important work of the United Way.” These funds will go directly to the United Way to help fight this worldwide crisis. Speedsterism has some serious mojo!
Porsche 911 Speedster Number 1948
The Company
The Porsche 911 Speedster is a special issue of only 1948 copies, a number commemorating the year of the founding of Porsche KG in Gmund, Austria by Ferry Porsche and his father, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche.
1948. Ferry (middle) standing with his father, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (right) and designer Erwin Komenda (left). The 356/1 was a mid-engine prototype that they decided was too expensive to build, so the rear-engine option 356/2 became the first production Porsche sportscar. In the background behind their factory (a repurposed sawmill) is a split-window VW coupe. Off in the distance are the mountains of Carinthia in Gmund, Austria. Historical photos courtesy Porsche Archives.
The first Porsches were hand-built on the sawdust floor of a sawmill in Gmund while the Porsches awaited the re-opening of postwar Germany, which in 1946 was occupied and controlled by occupying forces in four sectors. The story of Porsche’s birth and growth is long, complicated. Suffice to say that the early cars were lightweight and well-appointed. And fast!
This 1952 Nurburgring race poster features an early 356/2 coupe in competitive form and connects Porsche to its roots with images of a classic Auto-Union/Audi race car, as well as a VW coupe. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche had a big hand in their designs.
Porsches were always involved in sports competitions, with some of the early coupes winning in competitions such as LeMans and the Nurburgring. The first Porsche Speedster that was introduced in 1954 was made to extend that winning streak, which it did with aplomb.
1954 356 Speedster ad, typically found in sportscar racing programs
Typical activity for a Porsche 356 Speedster!
The story of the Porsche 356 Speedster was covered in Posts 13 & 14, and you can find them with these links:
https://www.classicspeedsters.com/blog/2019/4/24/a-tale-of-two-speedsters-pt-1-postwar-1950s-in-the-us
https://www.classicspeedsters.com/blog/2019/5/5/a-tale-of-two-speedsters-pt-2-rise-and-fall
check them out if you haven’t already!
As company fortunes waxed and waned following its 356 Speedster of the 1950s, and during successive generations of front-, rear-, and mid-engine models, Porsche would periodically issue a Speedster as part of the 911 offerings, a line that traces its heritage to 1963. Current 911s resemble the original in spirit and overall silhouette, but the 911, true to Porsche’s design culture, has undergone continuous improvement that maintains the 911’s stature as one of the fastest and most dependable sports cars in the world. The 2019 version, part of the 991 series, was longer, lower, wider, and produced at least 300% more power (depending on model) than the original 901 series! This seventh-generation 911 has since been superseded by the eighth-gen 992 for 2020, which is basically the same car, only more so. As it has been said many times before,
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!
The 911 Speedster
The 911 Speedster was introduced in June of 2018 as a concept that would be a 2019 model, and Porsche is currently shipping the last of the series as of April 2020. Good things take time…
2019 911 Speedster, overhead view
For definition purposes, a speedster is the most stripped/simplified variant of a cabriolet (cabriolet>roadster>speedster), and Porsche’s 911 Speedster fits this definition. It’s fast and it’s relatively simpler, such as its manually-erected “temporary” convertible top when compared to the cabriolet’s electrically-powered version. However, banish any thought of the 911 Speedster being a seriously stripped-down 911, as was the case with its 356 Speedster grandparent. Different times, different audiences…
a summary of its specifications:
Series number 991
Overall length 179.6 (inches)
Width (at doors) 73
Height 49.2
Wheelbase 96.7
Track 61 (frt), 61.2 (bk)
Curb Weight 3230 lbs
Engine flat-six, 4 valves/cyl, direct FI, Al block/heads
4.0 L/244 cu.in.
502 hp @ 8400 rpm
346 ft/lbs @ 6250 rpm
Transaxle 6-spd manual w OD
Speeds 0-60 mph 3.5 sec
0-100 mph 7.6 sec
¼ mile 11.7 sec
top speed 193 mph
2019 Porsche 911 Speedster interior
The interior is nothing short of refined spectacularity for two. However, the trunk contains a miniscule 2 cubic feet of cargo space, about enough for a short grocery run. Options abound and may be necessary depending on what you want, but thankfully a cupholder is a stock item!
Porsche 911 Speedster watch. In this example, the watch band is made from the same leather as are the car seats, and the book cover also uses this special leather.
This special Speedster, number 1948, comes with its own leather-bound book that tells its origin story, and the makers have thrown in a commemorative watch as an additional treat. Mind you, the watch is very exclusive and valued to be worth as much as a well-appointed tuk-tuk, so it is nothing to sneeze at! For more information on the RM auction, check out
https://rmsothebys.com/en/home/auctions/(link is external)
Hand-off to the lucky winner of this auction was slated to be at The Quail Gathering in August of 2020, which coincides with the annual Pebble Beach Concours and associated celebrations. However, due to changed plans for the Concours, the auctions, and other surrounding events, all changes stemming from the pandemic crisis, an alternative date/time/place may be set. Per a memo released on April 23, the Quail 2020 has been suspended. We’ll keep you posted!
2019 Porsche 911 Speedster side detail
In our next installment that concerns contemporary speedsters, we’ll discuss what the modern speedster culture looks like and pick out an example to examine and comment about. Thanks go out to Porsche KG and Porsche Archives for sharing their photo file and information on one of its many exemplary cars, as well as family historical photos.
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