1955 Devin 356 Special Speedster

This vehicle left the Porsche factory in 1955 looking much different than it does now. It was a 356 Pre-A Speedster painted red that was involved in a crash in 1956. A lightweight and inexpensive Devin body was purchased and installed. The Devin bodies were very versatile and offered in numerous sizes and configurations. However, at the time, Devin was only making bodies for front engine, water-cooled chassis. Several modifications were made to the Devin body and the Porsche to make the body fit.

The Devin bodies, prior to 1958, typically had a larger opening in the front to aide in cooling the front engined cars. In the back, the bodywork gently sloped toward the ground. In 1958, the Devin 'D' was introduced and featured tube frames with Porsche 356 or Volkswagen running gear. The bodies that clothed these vehicles had no front opening and raised rear bodywork to facilitate the rear engine layout.

This Devin-Porsche was used in competition on West Coast tracks during the late 1950s. It was then driven on the streets in the early 1960s. Restoration efforts were made over the years that followed.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2017