Porsche built 2104 of the funky things, which deleted the rear seats and featured a hump-shaped hard tonneau to cover the lowered convertible top plus a removable, chopped windshield.

In the Eighties, Porsche fiddled around with 911SC-based Speedsters, including an ’87 concept, which made the transition to production for 1989 based on the 3.2 Carrera. Since the late 1980s, Porsche has occasionally trotted out a limited-edition 911 to pay tribute to Hoffman’s stroke of genius, and it looks as if the next one is just about upon us. Now, of course, Speedsters sell for major coin. Many moons ago, importer Max Hoffman convinced the guys in Zuffenhausen that a stripped-down, convertible version of their Porsche 356 would be a smash hit with Americans.