1964 Porsche 356 'Outlaw' Speedster

Porsche's Type 356, introduced in 1948, is acknowledged to be one of the world's greatest sports cars. Over a 15 year production run, the handsome and durable 356 evolved from a streamlined little aluminium-bodied coupé powered by a VW-derived 46bhp 1,100cc air-cooled flat-four to a powerful autobahn burner carrying a complex, 2-litre, four-cam boxer Carrera engine of 130bhp. Its steady development brought not only Coupés, but luxurious Cabriolets and more spartan Speedsters and Roadsters; more than 76,000 examples in all by the time production ceased in 1965.

The 356 Speedster was introduced in 1954 as a lightweight stripped-out version of the 356 with a low, raked windshield, minimalist interior and agile handling. Power came from a modest 1.5-litre or 1.6-litre flat-four engine producing between 60–75bhp and despite the humble numbers, the Speedster became a dominant force in SCCA racing, piloted by drivers such as James Dean, further cementing its legendary status. It also proved itself in endurance races like Le Mans and the Mille Miglia, valued for its reliability and efficiency rather than outright speed. Porsche’s racing experience with the 356 influenced later models, including the 550 Spyder, the 718, the RS60 and ultimately the 911 Carrera.

During the 1960s there was many an enthusiast who would have loved to race a Speedster, however they were simply too expensive and it wasn't long before an irreverent, rule-breaking, Californian subculture of home-made 356 Coupés and speedsters were developed as 'hot-rods' or for the drag strip. Somebody came up with the term 'Outlaw' Porsches and it stuck. In essence, an Outlaw 356 is a modified, non-factory version of the 356, using the same styling and principles, but featuring a smorgasbord of upgrades to make the ‘ultimate’ 356. These upgrades frequently include lowered suspension, uprated engines and improved drivetrains. These builds preserve the spirit of the 356 while enhancing the performance and aesthetics, creating highly personalized interpretations of the legendary model.

The car in question is a simply fabulous example of an Outlaw Speedster. It has the best names in the business behind it and has been tweaked, refined and dialled in to become this fabulous driving machine, with a simply stunning aesthetic to boot.

Registered as a 1964 Porsche, this Speedster has been built by Ashley & James Coachbuilders in collaboration with Outlaw 718 for our private vendor as a tribute to the 356 Carrera Speedster. The car was built from the ground up over a number of years, with the parts used and attention to detail being second to none. The most obvious feature of the car is its hand-built aluminium body by Ashley & James, a work of art in itself, which they elected to remain unpainted giving the car a very distinctive look and there are invoices on file for £71,000 purely relating to its creation.

With the bodywork sorted it was time to build the rest of the car, which is where Outlaw 718 came in, deciding to use only the best parts available with a view to building one of the finest Outlaws. Mechanically the car is fitted with a fully built Type-4 engine, bored to 2.3-litre displacement, fuelled by a pair of DellOrto DRLA 45 carburettors and now producing 135bhp as dyno tested by B D Motorsport, a huge improvement over the standard 75bhp! Additionally, it benefits from a reinforced gearbox with a Quaife LSD, Wilwood disc brakes, two oil coolers, 4.5'' Dansk wheels, an original VDM steering wheel, fully adjustable independent double-wishbone suspension and much more. The suspension set-up, corner balancing and alignment was undertaken by the gurus at Kent Motorsport. The build cost from Outlaw 718 totalled £45,251 and when combined with the hand-built body, means the total investment in this fabulous machine is in excess of £134,000.

Since it’s completion in 2022, the car's subsequent maintenance history has been fastidious, as can be gleaned from a document in the history file that pinpoints exact days when work was undertaken, by whom and at what mileage. The Porsche has covered just 3,000 miles since being completed and they have been thoroughly enjoyable for our vendor, including occasional invitation track events at Goodwood, road trips and rallies, however a growing family and other responsibilities mean that the little Outlaw is reluctantly being offered for sale.

With its stunning looks, weighing just 726kg and being fitted with the very best parts money can buy, this Speedster perfectly encapsulates what an Outlaw should represent. It takes the beauty of the original car and upgrades and updates it to what is surely one of, if not the finest driving Outlaw Speedster currently available.