Mulling over the execution of my own iteration of a 1950s racecar, yet confined to a Porsche Speedster shape, there are a few items I felt I wanted to do. Simple yet elegant design is the objective. In no particular order, herewith some but not all of my random thought processes.
1) The colour needs to be somewhat understated and only considered fashionable in a very different era.
2) There will be no bumpers of course. Which makes mounting the almost obligatory fog lights difficult. Recessed into the body then, they will be.
3) I don’t really know what the point is of horn grilles. Neither on the 356s nor on the early 911s. Is it to let the horn sound propagate better? Or to assist brake cooling? There must be a good reason. Regardless, I won’t have those.
4) Door handles? Well the car has no roof. And no key. So no real need for door handles. Which make the decision of which handles to use so much easier! None!
5) The dash needs to have a sense of occasion. When you sit down and strap in (so a harness and therefore a rollcage will also be required…) the start procedure needs to have some drama to it.
6) The steering wheel needs to be the very opposite of what a modern wheel is, in other words thin rimmed and as large as possible.
7) 356 door cards are normally a fairly plain affair. I have no window mechanism, so the space inside the door is wasted if closed up. Why not do recessed 550 style door pockets then? With a cable to open the door! Like an old Healey. Or an F40!
8) Some 356 bling will naturally be required. Pegasus decals, roundels, hood straps, wide five rims and so on.
9) A hard tonneau cover with a bullet fairing turns a sedate 2+2 sportscar into a hardened race car, without a doubt!