Rod Emory and his team have become renowned for their extremely skilled restoration and modification work on Porsche 356 models. Their ‘Outlaw’ treatment has been carried out on over 170 cars since Rod and his wife Amy started Emory Motorsports in 1996—and now they have added another stunning restoration to that list.
Called the Emory 356 1959½ “Transitional” Speedster, this car originally started off life as a coupe but due to an accident that made its roof essentially unrepairable, it was destined for the junkyard. Where others might see a lost cause, Rod saw an opportunity and decided to resurrect the damaged car as a unique interpretation of the classic Speedsters of the late 1950s
“Each 356 that we put back on the road is a piece of Porsche history, and we work very hard to preserve that creative spark,” commented Emory, “The best part of my work is bringing new life to cars that might otherwise be destined for the junkyard.” The damaged 356 proved to be the perfect canvas from which to create this one-off 356 Outlaw and it underwent a ground-up restoration process with numerous bespoke components such as a hand-formed a racing-inspired aluminum tonneau cover and headrest fairing.
The Emory 1959½ “Transitional” Speedster is finished in a period-correct Aquamarine Metallic paint and features adjustable Koni dampers and updated suspension components to help it cope with the additional power the 2.4-liter Emory-Rothsport Outlaw-4 engine provides over the original 1.6-liter unit.
Reflecting on the Transitional Speedster, Emory continues, “Porsche enthusiasts will notice that this build does not wear a “Speedster” emblem. This is a nod to the car’s coupe beginnings and to the idea that we are celebrating the best of what this car still had when we found it. The “1959½” designation also signifies how this car straddles model years and body styles.”
The end result truly does capture the essence of those iconic original Speedsters and the upgrades and modifications only add to the desirability of what might well have become just another rusty old car abandoned to the elements.
Images courtesy of Emory Motorsports
