Absolutely — here’s a tailored version of the article optimized for a website aimed at Porsche enthusiasts. It keeps the passion and historical depth while bringing in a tone that resonates with readers who love Porsche’s legacy and engineering:
The Forgotten Speedster: Porsche and Zagato’s Lost Collaboration Reborn
In the world of automotive legends, few names carry the weight of Zagato. Founded in Milan in 1919 by Ugo Zagato, the coachbuilder earned its reputation by applying aircraft-inspired construction techniques to competition cars—lightweight, aerodynamic, and always beautifully crafted. From the beginning, Zagato partnered with top-tier marques like Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and FIAT. But what many Porsche enthusiasts don’t know is that one of the most intriguing chapters in Zagato’s history involved Stuttgart’s own 356 Carrera Speedster.
The 1958 One-Off That Disappeared
In 1957, French privateer Claude Storez—an up-and-coming Porsche racer—commissioned Zagato to rebody his 356 Carrera Speedster. Storez believed the Speedster’s performance could be elevated through better aerodynamics, and Zagato delivered. By mid-1958, the Milanese coachbuilder had transformed the car into a low-drag, open-top racer with a sleek white finish, a curved windscreen, and signature red fins stretching over the rear fenders.
After receiving the car in Stuttgart—where Porsche fine-tuned the mechanics—Storez raced it in the Tour de France Automobile that September. He’s believed to have placed second in the Reims GT race, trailing only Olivier Gendebien’s Ferrari 250 GT TdF. A surviving photograph shows Storez at the wheel, car number 139, in full flight.
Tragically, the story took a dark turn in early 1959 when Storez was killed during the final stage of a French rally. After his death, the one-off Porsche-Zagato vanished. No sightings. No auction listings. Nothing. For decades, it was simply gone—an exquisite ghost in Porsche racing history.
Reviving the Ghost: The Sanction Lost Project
Fast forward several decades. Herb Wetanson, a devoted Porsche collector in the U.S., approached Zagato with an idea: to recreate the long-lost Storez Speedster. Zagato saw more than just a car—they saw history worth reclaiming. The Porsche-Zagato was the first and only collaboration between the two brands, and it had never been produced in series.
This wasn’t just another Sanction II continuation. Because the Storez Speedster was a one-off with no surviving examples, Zagato started from scratch. Dubbed Sanction Lost, the project relied on period photographs, original design sketches, and archived materials from both Zagato and the Porsche Museum. Using advanced 3D modeling and virtual reality, the team digitally rebuilt the car before beginning physical construction.
Andrea Zagato explained the motivation to Petrolicious:
“When we saw how beautiful it was, we said to ourselves: we can’t afford not to make a car this important and this amazing. It marked the first collaboration between Zagato and Porsche.”
From there, the process went full vintage: a wooden body buck was hand-crafted, aluminium panels were shaped using traditional coachbuilding methods, and the detailing was kept period-correct. With Porsche’s official blessing, the reborn Porsche-Zagato Speedster became a tribute to 60 years of Porsche engineering excellence.
Limited to 9 Cars—Period
Only nine of these Speedsters were built—regardless of demand. Finding suitable donor Porsche 356s alone was a serious challenge. But for those lucky enough to own one, it’s not just a rare car—it’s a resurrection of a lost chapter in Porsche history.
Zagato didn’t stop there. They later built two closed coupés based on designs that had never made it to production, continuing their mission to give life to the most beautiful “what-ifs” from their archives.
Why It Matters to Porsche Fans
This isn’t just a pretty body on an old chassis. It’s a story of lost potential, of engineering and design meeting again decades later. It’s a reminder that even in Porsche’s rich and well-documented history, there are still hidden gems waiting to be rediscovered.
For enthusiasts who live for air-cooled engines, hand-formed panels, and stories that blend speed with soul—the Porsche-Zagato Speedster is more than a car. It’s a legend reborn.
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Interesting video
