Porsche 356A Carrera 1500GS Speedster Tribute

Built By:
Carrera CoachWerks

(now Kitzkrieg)

Factory Promo Car
(see Factory Promotional Pictures)

HAND LAID FIBERGLASS

Custom Tube Frame Design

(Cad Designed, ngineered & Tested)
Leg Room for 6’4” Seating

“BEE-HIVE” Tail-lights

Speedster Trim/Leather Interior
Speedster Bucket Seats
VDO Authentic Speedster Style Gauges

Optional Racing “Hump” Head-Rest Dam
Louvered Carrera Style Rear Hatch
Carrera Insignia Badge Rear
Custom Yellow & Black CA Plate
Chromed Wheels

12473 miles

2232 cc VW Engine

~ 150-160 hp
Top Speed 105+ mph
Carrera Style Engine Shroud
Front A-Arm Suspension
Rear Torsion

4 Wheel Drum Brakes
Hydraulic Clutch
4-Speed VW Transmission

Wheel Base 89” / 226 cm
Length 144” - 356 cm

Height 48” - 121 cm
Dry Weight 1535 lbs - 696 kg

Link to some of the promotional pictures of the Carrera Coachwerks cars including this car. Most of this cars pictures are included in my pictures below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/86300129@N08/

All of my pictures are listed below this ad but sometimes they can be slow to load, specially if you have an older computer or slow connection to the internet. You can find all of my pictures on Photobucket at this link:

http://s669.photobucket.com/user/fmattingly/library/Porsche%20Speedster%201956%20Red%20CCW

Link to Super Street Online Article about the Company back in Sept 2013:

http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/1309-carrera-coachwerks-550-spyder-replica/

Article from Jetset Magazine:

http://www.jetsetmag.com/sections/autos/carrera-coachwerks

It isn’t often, ut occasionally you will encounter an automotive “build” that is more than the sum of its proverbial parts. When that does happen, t is something to be celebrated. Such is what we have presented here is one of the “Promotional” builds of the Carrera CoachWerks 1956 Porsche 356A Carrera .

In 2012 CCW bought the assets of Thunder Ranch Cars from Tom McBurnie. He came to fame after creating the Corvette-based Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona used in the original Miami Vice TV series. Thunder Ranch went on to create a number of replicas based on classic Porsche sports cars, ncluding the 356 Speedster, 50 Spyder and 718-RSK, mong others. His cars were noted for their exceptional build quality and he was a visionary car builder of his time.

With Tom advancing in age, heo Hanson had been looking to build his own 550 Spyder replica for nine years. He investigated Thunder Ranch as a potential supplier and eventually saw a business opportunity and brought in his friend Alan Cassell to combine their business experience. For a period Theo and Alan produced what I personally think are the highest quality and engineered Speedsters and 550 replicas that have ever been built.

After researching the replica market, he pair realized it was dominated by versions of the AC Cobra. However, hey felt Porsche replicas were more recognizable to the average enthusiast and expected the market to grow as interest in older Porsches continued to expand. They saw the lesser quality products on the market as a detriment and set out to rival Intermeccanica (start at $60K and can easily be $100K cars) at a lower price point.

As it turns out I think they realized there really was no in between and their cars ended up at the higher end of the spectrum. This was a difficult business to build with lots of moving parts. Manufacturing the bodies and chassis and then putting together turn-key car turned out to be two different businesses. It’s difficult to be both. Today the company, ow Kitzkreig, nly sells kits and no longer builds complete cars. They have custom builders that buy their kits and build cars to customer specs. So the no more than a handful of cars that they built in the first couple of years and they are truly spectacular specimens and rarely come on the market.

I was asked by my friends at Blue Chip Motorcars in San Juan Capistrano to work on doing a write-up for this car because I had spent time getting to know Carrera CoachWerks during their start-up phase and have been studying the Speedster replicas myself for about fifteen years.

I have been a Corvette and Porsche guy for most of my life (now 61). I have owned over 150 cars in my life, ost of them being the above. I have torn apart and built many of them and have judged cars at various concour events in California for many years. I have a very critical eye for automotive anything and trust me the first time I saw a Carrera CoachWerks built car I stopped dead in my tracks.

It just so happened that I saw the first 550 Spyder built by Theo and Alan at a Cars & Coffee Meet in 2012 and became very interested in the cars. The QUALITY, he engineering and attention to detail was beyond anything that I had personally ever seen in the replica market. If you do a search of Theo Hanson and Carrera CoachWerks you will find many videos and magazine articles, will try to attach some to this writeup.
I have a real Porsche 356C that I have owned for over 20 years and the thing that always grabs me about the car is the perfection in the roundness of the body panels. I am a BODY GUY!! I BUY BODY… on every single car that I purchase. The body on a car is what draws me in and there is simply nothing more sexy than a Porsche 356 Speedster body, nd that racing “hump” behind the driver distinguishes this car from most kits that you see.

I have always been intrigued by the Speedster myself and wanted one in the worst way a couple of years ago. The problem is they have just gone out of sight. $300K - $500K for a really nice survivor or concour ready examples. Not going to happen.. so I finally decided to buy a replica and I was just completely discouraged by the bodies I was seeing. Then one day I came across an older Intermeccanica that was built in their original factory in Southern CA back in the late 70’s. I could not believe my eyes… I thought the car was real, ven when I knocked on it to see if it was fiberglass, t actually sounded like metal… THUNK THUNK… rather than CLINK CLINK; same holds true of the body on our car here.

After some lengthy research I found that they only built about 600 of those cars before they moved their operation to Vancouver, here they are still building stunning cars to this day. These cars built by CCW are all HAND LAID fiberglass. The body on this car is superior to any replica I have ever seen, ncluding Intermeccanica. The technology today for most fiberglass cars is the “chopper gun” method. In my opinion you never get the uniformity and strength from the chopper gun as the old hand laid up method. Think of the old boats built back in the 60’s and 70’s and the original Corvette bodies in the 50’s… they were indestructible.

This little red Carrera Speedster is all laid up fiberglass and it is probably the smoothest and most real looking example of a Porsche Speedster that I have ever encountered. Absolutely gorgeous fiberglass work accompanied by extremely high-end paint work. All of the CCW cars that I saw built were of super high quality, ut this car because it was going to be the promo car had been blocked and blocked and blocked to perfection. The paint was color sanded to perfection. The body panel fit and shut lines are all incredible. The paint is a 10… period.
I took many close up and down the side pictures just to highlight how perfect the body and paint are on this vehicle. You simply do NOT find this on any of the other kits out there. Most of them look like there were never blocked, re notoriously lumpy and imperfections everywhere. They LOOK like fiberglass… this car LOOKS LIKE METAL. That’s the difference. Most people approach this car and think it is real.

The car currently has 12473 miles on it. The engine is a 2232 cc VW engine that was built to outperform the original Carrera factory 4 cam engine. This thing flies and handles like it is on rails. The shifter is what I refer to as a short throw “click-click” racing set-up that just adds to the overall racing feel of this little red rocket. There is nothing more fun than pressing this red roadster into a corner under acceleration… WOW!!

Theo was the master of performance and everything he did was to enhance the performance of every car he built. Everything was done to make this car look and feel like a real Carrera from 1956, ight down to when you open the “louvered” rear hatch where you are immediately met by the very cool Carrera Style Fan Shroud. To me… this really completes the package.

The single racing hump ads a nice touch to the body and can be easily unbolted and removed. The convertible top cannot be on when the racing hump is in place… so it is currently out of the car but will come with the car. In Southern California there is really no need for a top on a car like this unless you are planning a trip. A couple of bolts literally installs the top.

One of my favorite features to the 56 Speedster was the “Beehive” Tail lights. Rarely do you see these used on any replica cars, lmost always the teardrop style. To me, he Beehive Tail Lights really make the rear-end of Speedster a Speedster!!

The Leather Interior is in excellent shape with a minor patina that ads to the overall character of the car. It is nicely appointed with racing style seat belts and German style square weave carpet. The gauges are new real VDO’s to replicate the exact gauges from that era. A Wood Nardi steering wheel compliments the interior nicely.

Back when CCW was building these cars one done to this spec would probably have sold for around $55K - $60K. And to be honest they would have had probably close to that in it, hich is the reason they are only selling kits today. Considering CCW is not building turn-key cars any longer it would cost a whole lot more to replicate this car today. With under 13K miles on the clock, his car is still literally like brand new.

The car is registered as a 1968 VW and there is no smog required for registration in CA. The special Yellow & Black Plates come with the car.
The Carrera badging below the rear trunk tells the story of what is under the rear lid.

If you are looking for a turnkey, un & easy to maintain Speedster Carrera replica that will run faster than the original this may just be the right car for you. If you own a real one and you can’t afford to take a chance driving it, his may just be the car for you!! These cars are simple to work on and any VW mechanic can keep these running forever. BTW if you are 6’4” you will absolutely love the leg room in this car. I am 6’1 and had to move the seat up a couple of notches.

We have taken it to several shows and Cars & Coffee and it is an absolute hit wherever it goes.

Pure fun without the heavy price tag and one of the highest quality Speedsters you can by, ith the Carrera GS1500 mystique.

The car is located in San Juan Capistrano at Blue Chip Motorcars, hould you want to view and drive the car.

For further questions feel free to call Frank at 949-310-6262.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

The car is for sale locally and we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time before the end of the auction. We do not have a Buy It Now Price listed.

The car will be made available for inspection by serious bidders throughout the auction. Please e-mail us if you would like to see the car. If you prefer, e can arrange to have a qualified, ndependent, rofessional mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection for you (at your expense). It is the buyers responsibility to verifythat all of the sellers information and claims about the car are true and correct prior to the sale of the vehicle. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH THE INITIAL DEPOSIT AS WELL AS THE FINAL PAYMENT.
Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end, nd make arrangements for payment at that time. A $1000.00deposit is due within 48 hours of end of auction. The deposit can be made by cash (please do not mail cash!), ank check, ashier's check, r bank transfer (preferred). The remainder is due within 7d days of Auction end. The remaining balance must be made in the form of a bank transfer (preferred) Cashier'scheck, r bank check (all forms of payment subject to verification). PayPal will not be accepted as a form of payment for either the deposit or the final payment. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, ell it to the next high bidder, r sell it otherwise. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Once the final balance has been paid, itle transfer paperwork will be initiated.
Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, e will gladly cooperate, ou can locate shippers by doing a search for “auto shippers”. We have relationships with both domestic and international shippers should you need some assistance.

This vehicle is being sold as is, here is with no warranty, xpressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, uthenticity, enuineness, r defects herein, nd makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, mperfection, efect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Please Check My Feedback- I value my 100% positive rating, nd will do my best to keep it.

The winning bidder should have the car insured from the time the final payment is made to us. Once final payment is made, e will exercise a generally accepted standard of care, ut the buyer assumes all liability and risk once the final payment is made.
Before delivery of the vehicle, he winning bidder must provide a photocopy of a valid driver’s license. Delivery is defined as the time at which physical possession of the car is transferred from us, he seller, o the buyer or the buyers’ agent or chosen transport company.
If you are not sure about something, lease ASK. Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale.
Please do not bid on this auction unless you are serious about owning this vehicle. PLEASE ONLY BID WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

The car is for sale locally and we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time before the end of the auction. We do not have a Buy It Now Price listed.

The car will be made available for inspection by serious bidders throughout the auction. Please e-mail us if you would like to see the car. If you prefer, e can arrange to have a qualified, ndependent, rofessional mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection for you (at your expense). It is the buyers responsibility to verifythat all of the sellers information and claims about the car are true and correct prior to the sale of the vehicle. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAYPAL AS A FORM OF PAYMENT. THIS IS TRUE FOR BOTH THE INITIAL DEPOSIT AS WELL AS THE FINAL PAYMENT.
Winning bidder must contact us within 24 hours of auction end, nd make arrangements for payment at that time. A $1000.00deposit is due within 48 hours of end of auction. The deposit can be made by cash (please do not mail cash!), ank check, ashier's check, r bank transfer (preferred). The remainder is due within 7d days of Auction end. The remaining balance must be made in the form of a bank transfer (preferred) Cashier'scheck, r bank check (all forms of payment subject to verification). PayPal will not be accepted as a form of payment for either the deposit or the final payment. If no contact is made within 24 hours we reserve the right to re-list the vehicle, ell it to the next high bidder, r sell it otherwise. Please arrange financing prior to bidding. Once the final balance has been paid, itle transfer paperwork will be initiated.
Buyer is responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, e will gladly cooperate, ou can locate shippers by doing a search for “auto shippers”. We have relationships with both domestic and international shippers should you need some assistance.

This vehicle is being sold as is, here is with no warranty, xpressed written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, uthenticity, enuineness, r defects herein, nd makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, mperfection, efect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to purchase based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle. Please Check My Feedback- I value my 100% positive rating, nd will do my best to keep it.

The winning bidder should have the car insured from the time the final payment is made to us. Once final payment is made, e will exercise a generally accepted standard of care, ut the buyer assumes all liability and risk once the final payment is made.
Before delivery of the vehicle, he winning bidder must provide a photocopy of a valid driver’s license. Delivery is defined as the time at which physical possession of the car is transferred from us, he seller, o the buyer or the buyers’ agent or chosen transport company.
If you are not sure about something, lease ASK. Do not assume anything not listed is included. We reserve the right to cancel bids for excessive negative feedback. We reserve the right to end the listing if the vehicle is no longer available for sale.