About this Chesil Speedster

The Porsche 356 Speedster was really made famous by American film star James Dean who loved the curved, slightly effeminate, look of the Speedster, which had been born out of the desire for a sleeker version of the Porsche 356. Dean will forever be linked to the car, having briefly driven and raced one of the first ever pre-A Speedsters, but it was the faster 550 Spyder that finally immortalised him, following his fatal crash on September 30, 1955.

The 356 Speedster was a car made for jumping into and heading off down the Pacific Coast Highway in California to the beach, Surfboard pushed in the back, Marlboro clenched between your lips as you stuck two fingers up to however was behind you. Original 356 Speedsters have become very expensive and collectible now and it will be hard to find one for much less than £250,000, so it is no longer a car to shove a surfboard in the back and head to the beach, so why not opt for an affordable replica of the iconic Speedster?

The Chesil Motor Company was launched by Peter Bailey in 1991 in Burton Bradstock, near Chesil Beach in Dorset and he began producing Porsche 356 replicas and kits based on a Volkswagen Beetle. The company was sold in late 2007 to the Tygan Motor Company, but this takeover however was very short-lived and it was reacquired by Peter Bailey in 2009 and he started operating again as the Chesil Motor Company right up to 2019 when it was sold to Westfield Sportscars who are just starting to remanufacture the Chesil Speedster from their new premises in Bicester near Oxford.

See their website: https://chesil.co.uk/chesil-356-speedster - Prices now starting @ £76,995 !!

This lovely example which we have just taken in for sale was built by Tygan in 2008 and was based on a 1972 VW Beetle chassis and was registered on 23rd June 2008 as a Tygan Sports and fully IVA tested and approved. It was one of 20 cars originally commissioned by Porsche specialist Gmund Cars from the Tygan Motor Company and it was due to have many upgrades from their standard specification including a 2.0 Fuel injected Engine, but this did not materialise due to a number of reasons, one of which being the company running out of money and closing the business.

They were very well-made cars and this example is finished in the very desirable colour combination of Porsche GT Silver Metallic with a Red Leather interior, high-back front seats and rear child seat finished in BMW Montana Red leather and piped in White, Inertia Front Seat Belts, Rear seat lap belts, Red carpet throughout, Black Twillfast Mohair Soft Top, Wind-Up Windows, CD/Stereo Radio, Wooden Mota-Lita Steering Wheel, Heated Speedster Screen, VW 1,800cc Engine with twin Weber Carburettors, Stainless Steel Sports Exhaust System, High Ratio 4-Speed VW Gearbox, Independent Rear Suspension, Front & Rear Disc Brakes, 15" Steel Wheels with Chrome Hub Caps and a stainless steel Luggage Rack.

The car is still in excellent condition with very little signs of wear either externally or internally and it really does drive beautifully with either the top up or top down. It has only had 3 former keepers with the current owner since 2018 and it has now covered a genuine 5,442 Miles since being built in 2008. It comes with its original Tygan Speedster Owners Manual, MOT history, clear HPI check and Certificate, correspondence from Gmund cars relating to this car and a number of service/repair invoices. It is most importantly ULEZ compliant.

It is MOT'd until February 2026 and has very recently serviced by Terry's Beetles in Hanwell, West London and upon sale, the car will come with our own standard 6 months Mechanical Breakdown Parts & Labour Warranty which can be extended at additional cost if required. 

Car on display at our showrooms in Mortlake, SW London.

NB: Classic Chrome Ltd make every effort to ensure that the information in this advertisement is accurate and all statements as to provenance and condition are given as opinions only. When describing any car that is more than 20 years old, we sometimes have to rely on the car’s history file and any information provided by the previous owner(s). This information in passed on in good faith and is therefore not purported to be a statement of fact. Any prospective purchaser must satisfy themselves as to the condition and fitness for use of the vehicle. This does not affect your statutory rights.