One to Buy: ex-Dick Thompson 1957 Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Lightweight
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If you wanted the best production-based Porsche racer in 1957, that car was the 356 A Carrera GT Lightweight.
Bristling with all the best gear, at its heart was the ultimate 110bhp iteration of Porsche’s jewel-like four-cam Carrera engine complete with trick sports exhaust. The shell got flimsy aluminium opening panels with lightweight bumpers and bumper mounts but no underseal. Plexiglas was used for the side and rear windows. Interiors were sparsely equipped and bucket seats were imported from the Speedster.
Just 26 examples of the 356 A Carrera GT Lightweight were produced during 1957, a superb example of which is currently on offer in Texas with Broad Arrow’s Private Sales department.
Configured in Silver Metallic with Black leatherette upholstery, an 80-litre fuel tank and a limited-slip diff, chassis 100913 was completed on June 25th 1957 and supplied to Porsche’s US distributor, Hoffman Motors of New York.
For the remainder of 1957, chassis 100913 was raced for Hoffman’s by Dick Thompson who later went on to great things including a second place finish at the ‘66 Le Mans with Ford.
Thompson collected a number top three placings in his SCCA National outings with the silver Porsche. The pair then departed for the end-of-season Bahamas Speed Week which took place at the beginning of December. With big prize money and a party atmosphere, all the best cars and drivers were in town.
Over the course of several days, Thompson and 100913 bagged fourth overall and first in class in the Nassau Memorial race for GT cars, 16th overall and seventh in class in the Nassau TT open, 13th overall and seventh in class in the Governor’s Trophy race for under two-litre Sports / GT cars and tenth overall, fifth in class, in the Nassau Memorial Trophy open.
During March 1958, chassis 100913 was sold to its first private owner, Michael Cappiello, who raced it in SCCA events for the rest of that year. Since then, the car has resided with a line of careful custodians and is today being offered in concours matching numbers condition.
