Vintage Speedsters are a well-known manufacturer of Porsche 356 replicas based in the town of Goodyear, Arizona USA.  They are mostly based on VW Beetle running gear.  

Well respected in the USA for the quality of their kits they have produced over 3,300 Speedsters in various configurations since 1988.  With lots of options available to personalise your build no two Vintage Speedsters are truly alike, but they are fun to drive and look great.

Purchased by the seller in 2007 this cool 356 Speedster Widebody replica was built from a kit supplied by Vintage Speedsters. The kit is thought to have been shipped to France in 2004 and built using the running gear of a left hand drive French 1975 Volkswagen Beetle. 

The seller spotted the Speedster on French Ebay, and bought it to drive at his house in the South of France.  After 5 years of summertime fun it was looking a bit worn, so in 2012-13 it was completely rebuilt by a local engineer.  It was then used for local trips and days out around his house near Nice.  

Brought back to the UK and registered here in March 2021 it is now being offered for sale. Being part of a small collection of cars the seller hasn’t driven it as much in the past year, so he has decided to sell whilst it’s still in great condition.

The V5c Registration document lists the Speedster as a 1975 VW Beetle with a 1,584 cc engine and shows it was registered here in March 2021 when it arrived from France.  

Apart from the V5c there is no documentation to accompany the Speedster apart from an MoT that is valid until 23rd February 2023.

The inside of the Speedster has been nicely trimmed in cream leather with dark blue piping and tan coloured, hard wearing matting on the floor.  The 3 spoke steering wheel by Flat4 GT features a wood rim and aluminium spokes, all very period correct.  

Equally smart is the dash area with black faced gauges with pale green lettering echoing those of the Porsche 356.  There is a large rev counter, a speedometer (in kph) with temperature and fuel plus warning lights on the third gauge.

The dash area is painted to match the bodywork, with a separate, leather trimmed binnacle to keep sunlight off the gauges. The door panels are trimmed in leather, with small storage pockets.

Up front, under the bonnet, there is space for some luggage, and the battery which is mounted under the black carpeted floor.  There are some drop-in style Perspex side windows in a leather bag, but they look like they have not been used as there are no mounting points on the doors.  There is a half zip tonneau cover that fits well and would keep a shower from soaking the interior.

Overall the interior simple is comfortable, clean and in excellent condition.

The dark blue exterior has a brilliant shine and contrasts well with the cream colour of the interior. The body has the look of a Porsche 356, with more “stance” thanks to the wider track and flared arches front and rear that give it a more hot-rod look.  The wheels are polished American Racing 15 inch Torque Thrusts with matching set of Mastercraft Avenger GT tyres, 205 profile on the front and 225 rears.  This gives the Speedster a sporty rake, -very purposeful! The wheels are in great condition with no curb marks or corrosion.

There is a small chip to the edge of the front bonnet on the driver’s side, and a small piece of trim that is becoming detached near the top of the driver’s side door jamb (see pictures)  Apart from that there are no notable scratches or chips on the body.

We were impressed with the sporty tone of the VW motor as we manoeuvred the Speedster around during the photoshoot.  The engine was rebuilt in 2012 and a race cam was installed. The gearbox was rebuilt in 2021. The seller says it has always proved highly dependable and a great deal of fun to drive, and he reckons it has been driven a 500miles since it was rebuilt and everything still works as it should.  

With the simple mechanics and good parts availability there should be much that couldn’t be easily remedied.  The engine bay is clean and tidy with no evidence of leaks or drips from the 1,600cc motor.  Underneath the chassis looks to be sound, probably thanks to its time in the South of France.

This Speedster is just begging for a sunny afternoon blast with the wind in your hair and a grin on your face.  With its rorty engine and hot-rod looks it turns heads wherever it goes so perhaps it’s not for the shy, but we think it’s a guaranteed summer of fun for the winning bidder!