Every Porsche Speedster Ever Made: The One They Never Sold You

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Quick take

The Porsche Speedster started in 1954 as a car built specifically at the request of Porsche's American importer, Max Hoffman — the opposite of a car kept away from US buyers.
Five of the six Speedster generations were sold through official Porsche dealers in the United States. Only one wasn't sold to anyone, anywhere: the 1995–1998 993 Speedster.
Just two 993 Speedsters exist. Porsche built them as private commissions — one for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche's 60th birthday, the other for Jerry Seinfeld.
The 356 Speedster is one of the most filmed cars of its era, appearing in Top Gun, Harper, Doc Hollywood, 48 Hrs., Gilmore Girls, and CSI: Miami.

The Porsche Speedster nameplate has a genuinely unusual origin story: it wasn't Porsche's idea. It was built at the direct request of Max Hoffman, the Austrian-American importer who almost single-handedly created the US market for European sports cars in the 1950s, because he was convinced American buyers wanted something cheaper and rawer than the standard 356 cabriolet. He was right — the Speedster became one of the defining sports cars of its decade, and Porsche has revived the name five more times since, on and off, for 65 years. Here's the real history, generation by generation, and the one Speedster you genuinely cannot buy.

1954–1958: The 356 Speedster — built for America, not kept from it

Porsche unveiled the first 356 Speedster in the fall of 1954, built to Max Hoffman's specification: a lower, rakish windshield, a minimal folding top with snap-in side curtains instead of roll-up windows, bucket seats, and a lower base price than the standard cabriolet by stripping out equipment American buyers, in Hoffman's read of the market, didn't need. It worked. Porsche built 4,722 356 Speedsters (including roughly 200 pre-series cars) between 1954 and 1958, and the vast majority went straight to US dealers — this generation isn't a "forbidden" story at all. It's the opposite: the entire nameplate exists because of American demand.

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, exterior shot 1. — A restored 356 Speedster at a classic car event.

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, exterior shot 2. — The low, chopped windshield that defined the entire nameplate.

The James Dean connection — real, but not the myth you've heard

James Dean bought a brand-new white-over-black 356 Speedster (chassis 80126, the top-spec 1500cc Super engine) from Competition Motors, the Hollywood Porsche dealership, in March 1955. He raced it — a class win at Palm Springs, another at Minter Field in Bakersfield — before deciding it wasn't fast enough for him and trading up to the Porsche 550 Spyder he nicknamed "Little Bastard." That 550 Spyder, not the Speedster, is the car he was driving when he died that September. The Speedster itself never appeared in any of his films; the myth conflating the two cars is common but wrong, and worth correcting here specifically because it gets repeated so often.

The Speedster that made James Dean famous as a driver wasn't the car that killed him. Those were two different Porsches.

1989: The 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster (G-Series)

Porsche revived the name in 1988–89 as a send-off for the G-series 911, applying the same formula — low windshield, minimal top — to the modern 911 Carrera 3.2 platform. It was a genuine, if brief, US-market model: of the 2,104 built, roughly 825 were built specifically for the American market (North American cars were detuned slightly to 207hp versus 234hp elsewhere for emissions compliance), officially federalized and sold through US Porsche dealers as a one-year-only 1989 model.

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — The G-series 911 Speedster, Porsche's first revival of the name.

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, rear view. — Built for the 911's send-off before the 964 generation arrived.

1992–1994: The 964 Speedster

The second modern revival came on the 964-generation 911. Porsche originally planned to build as many as 3,000; by the end of production in 1994, only 936 had been made, with 427 built specifically for the US market and introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in January 1993 at $64,000. A small, ultra-rare subset — 20 "WTL" variants — were built by Porsche's in-house Exclusive Manufaktur division with even more bespoke specification.

Porsche 964 Speedster, Maritime Blue, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — A 964 Speedster in Maritime Blue — one of 427 built for the US market.

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, exterior detail. — The 964's version of the low-windshield formula.

1995–1998: The 993 Speedster — the one they never sold you

This is the real "forbidden" chapter, and it isn't a US-specific restriction at all — Porsche never sold a 993-generation Speedster to the general public, in any country. Exactly two exist. Porsche's in-house Exclusive division built the first as a birthday gift for Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche, the designer of the original 911, for his 60th birthday in 1995. The second went to Jerry Seinfeld, a well-documented Porsche collector, who had Porsche convert a 911 he already owned into Speedster specification in 1998. Neither car was ever offered as a catalog model or through a dealer order sheet. If you want a 993 Speedster today, your only path is buying one of these two specific cars, should either ever come up for sale again.

Porsche 993 Speedster, one of two ever built, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — One of only two 993 Speedsters in existence, top up.

Porsche 993 Speedster, one of two ever built, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, rear view. — Never offered for public sale, in any market, at any price.

2010–2011 and 2019: The 997 and 991 Speedsters

Porsche returned to the Speedster formula twice more in the modern era, both times as properly catalog-sold, US-available limited editions rather than one-offs. The 997-based Speedster, limited to 356 units worldwide and shown publicly at events including the Chicago Auto Show, sold out almost immediately in 2010–2011. The most recent, the 991-generation Speedster, launched in 2019 to mark Porsche's 70th anniversary — limited to 1,948 units (a reference to the year Porsche built its first car), powered by the naturally aspirated 4.0L flat-six borrowed from the 911 GT3, producing 502 hp. It was explicitly available to US buyers, confirmed on Porsche's own US newsroom site at launch, and was shown at the New York International Auto Show that year.

Porsche 997 Speedster at Chicago Auto Show 2011, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — The 997 Speedster at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show.

Porsche 991 Speedster, 2019, New York International Auto Show, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — The 991 Speedster at the 2019 New York International Auto Show.

The Speedster on screen — real appearances, not lookalikes

The 356 Speedster in particular is one of the more heavily documented cars in film and TV history, according to the Internet Movie Car Database. Its most famous screen moment is arguably Tom Cruise's Maverick driving one in Top Gun (1986) — a 356 Speedster became visually shorthand for the fighter-pilot lifestyle the film was selling. Paul Newman drove one in Harper (1966); it also appeared in Doc Hollywood with Michael J. Fox and in 48 Hrs. with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. On television, a 356 A Speedster turned up across Gilmore Girls, and a 1955 example appeared in CSI: Miami.

Where they all landed

1954–58

356 Speedster

4,722 built. Built for the US market at Max Hoffman's request.

1989

911 (G-Series) Speedster

2,104 built, ~825 for the US. One-year-only model.

1992–94

964 Speedster

936 built, 427 for the US. Debuted at the Detroit Auto Show.

1995–98, unobtainable

993 Speedster

Exactly 2 built. Never sold to the public, anywhere.

2010–11

997 Speedster

356 built worldwide. Sold out almost immediately.

2019

991 Speedster

1,948 built. GT3-derived 4.0L flat-six, 502 hp.

Full photo gallery (43 photos)

All 43 images below are real photographs of Porsche Speedsters across all six generations, sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons and public-domain licenses. Click any photo to enlarge.

356 Speedster (1954–1958)

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 356, 1 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 356, 2 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 3. — 356, 3 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 4. — 356, 4 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 5. — 356, 5 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 6. — 356, 6 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 7. — 356, 7 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 8. — 356, 8 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 9. — 356, 9 of 10

Porsche 356 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 10. — 356, 10 of 10

911 (G-Series) Speedster (1989)

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 1989, 1 of 6

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 1989, 2 of 6

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 3. — 1989, 3 of 6

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 4. — 1989, 4 of 6

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 5. — 1989, 5 of 6

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 1989, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 6. — 1989, 6 of 6

964 Speedster (1992–1994)

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 964, 1 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 964, 2 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 3. — 964, 3 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 4. — 964, 4 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 5. — 964, 5 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 6. — 964, 6 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 7. — 964, 7 of 8

Porsche 964 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 8. — 964, 8 of 8

993 Speedster (1995–1998) — only 2 exist

Porsche 993 Speedster, one of two ever built, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 993, 1 of 2

Porsche 993 Speedster, one of two ever built, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 993, 2 of 2

997 Speedster (2010–2011)

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 997, 1 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 997, 2 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 3. — 997, 3 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 4. — 997, 4 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster interior, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons. — 997, cockpit, 5 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 6. — 997, 6 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 7. — 997, 7 of 8

Porsche 997 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 8. — 997, 8 of 8

991 Speedster (2019)

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 1. — 991, 1 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 2. — 991, 2 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 3. — 991, 3 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 4. — 991, 4 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 5. — 991, 5 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 6. — 991, 6 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 7. — 991, 7 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 8. — 991, 8 of 9

Porsche 991 Speedster, real photograph, Wikimedia Commons, shot 9. — 991, 9 of 9

Common questions

Was any Porsche Speedster actually banned or forbidden in the US?

Not exactly banned — but the 993 Speedster (1995–1998) was never sold to the public at all, in any country. Only two were built, both as private commissions. Every other Speedster generation was officially sold through US Porsche dealers.

Did James Dean die in a Porsche Speedster?

No. He owned a 356 Speedster and raced it, but sold it before buying the Porsche 550 Spyder he was driving when he died. The two are frequently confused.

How many 993 Speedsters exist?

Exactly two: one built for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche's 60th birthday in 1995, the other converted for Jerry Seinfeld in 1998.

What's the newest Porsche Speedster?

The 991-generation Speedster from 2019, built to mark Porsche's 70th anniversary, limited to 1,948 units.

The takeaway

The popular idea of a "forbidden" Porsche Speedster doesn't really hold up — five of six generations were officially, federally sold through US dealers, starting with the very first one, which existed specifically because an American importer asked for it. The genuinely unobtainable chapter is narrower and stranger than a US import ban: exactly two 993 Speedsters exist, built as personal gifts, never offered for sale to anyone at all. That's a rarer, more interesting story than a market restriction — it's a car Porsche simply never intended you to be able to buy, regardless of what country you live in.

Disclosure. This feature is based on Porsche's own published history and press materials, and independent automotive press reporting: Porsche Newsroom — Porsche Speedster History, Motor Authority — A Brief History of the Porsche Speedster, Porsche Newsroom — There Can Only Be Two (993 Speedster), RennDriver — Porsche 911 Speedster: Every Generation, and the Internet Movie Car Database — Porsche 356 Speedster. DopamineKart did not receive a loaned vehicle, payment, or other consideration from Porsche for this coverage. All photography via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons and public-domain licensed contributor photography — see sources.json for full per-image attribution.

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