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www.QV500.com - Porsche 356 Part 4: 356 America Roadster |
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The 356 America Roadster came about after North American Porsche distributor, Max Hoffman, suggested the firm build a lightweight open top version intended for racing. One notable special had already been built during late 1950, this at the request of Stuttgart businessman Heinrich Sauter who considered his 356 Coupe too heavy for serious competition. Purchasing a rolling chassis direct from Porsche, Sauter had Hans Klenk fit it with a skimpy steel body and hot 1.5-litre experimental engine. Some competition success followed and before long, Porsche were convinced a factory hot rod was a viable proposition. Enter the America Roadster. |
Most America Roadster's differed in detail and of the 17 completed, 16 were exported to the USA. Based on the more or less standard Cabriolet chassis albeit with some minor set up alterations, the America Roadster even used standard 356 wheels and tyres. However, the engine was allowed to rev 500rpm higher, raising output to 75bhp at 5500rpm. Otherwise, displacement, compression and carbs remained identical to the Typ 528 motor. Depending upon whether a customer wanted their car finished to road or race specification, weight was either 705 or 605kg, both of which were some way off the standard 810kg Cabriolet. Three types of bodywork were fabricated, 16 Glaser Roadster's in either single or double engine vent configurations and one lightweight Spyder specially commissioned by Drauz for Jon Von Neumann. Glaser cars got lightweight alloy bodies with leather retaining straps for the front lid and engine cover, the hump-backed rear section clearly influencing the later Speedster. There were more curvaceous rear wings behind cut away doors, early Glaser-bodied America Roadster’s featuring a single engine air vent on the rear deck whilst later cars got two. All received easily removable windscreens that could be replaced with cut-down Perspex components for racing. With the lightweight screen saving nearly 10kg, a further 50kg could be lost by ditching parts like the domed wheel trims, flimsy hood, jack and even the boot lining. Unsurprisingly spartan then, the cockpit was equipped with either cloth or leather-trimmed aluminium bucket seats, road cars also receiving token carpeting and vinyl floor mats. Within just a few months of acquiring the contract to build bodies for these cars, Glaser (under the proprietary of Heuer) folded and with them went this rare and distinctive competition-oriented 356. Although it's generally agreed that 16 America Roadster’s were completed, a 17th example, that special Drauz-bodied Spyder for Jon Von Neumann, also deserves mention. Built solely for racing, it was much like the 1955 550 and 1500 RS Spyder's, Von Neumann’s special featuring a stubbier tail in order to aid heat dissipation, large brake cooling ducts located underneath the headlights and every item of removable trim junked. A super light 356, in the hands of Von Neumann and Jack McAfee, it was a very successful car on the US West Coast. |