This Ultra-Rare 1952 Porsche Roadster Was Just Added to the National Historic Vehicle Register
The National Historic Vehicle Register isn’t just reserved for American-made cars.
Just look at the latest addition to the growing index. Over the weekend, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation announced that the ultra-rare 1952 Porsche America Roadster (Type 540) will be the 34th vehicle entered into the Register, which is the only federally recognized program documenting the cultural significance of the automobile in the U.S.
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The news was announced (and celebrated) this past Saturday at Broad Arrow Group’s 75th Anniversary Porsche sale at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. The two-seater, chassis no. 12336, is one of 16 aluminum-body roadsters built by the German marque specifically for American racers thanks to the efforts of legendary importer Max Hoffman and famed dealer John von Neumann. It was originally owned by John Crean and racked up competitive victories with von Neumann’s stepdaughter, Josie, at the wheel.
The race car was the only aluminum-body American Roadster that left the factory in Fire Red and has a light grey interior. In the engine bay sits a naturally aspirated four-cylinder with two single-barrel Solex carburetors mated to a five-speed manual that sends all 70 hp to the rear axle. The car was purchased by the late Porsche collector Bob Ingram in 2009 and remains part of his family’s collection. In 2018, his son Cam oversaw an exhaustive “nut-and-bold” restoration of the vehicle, which was promptly rewarded with third in class at that year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
“Having the America Roadster added to the National Historic Vehicle Register and documented for perpetuity on the anniversary of Porsche is an enormous honor,” Bob’s other son, Rory, was quoted as saying by Hagerty. “Of all of the significant Porsches, we feel this is a fitting example for the Register. This is a tough year to have lost our dad, and to honor his legacy with the celebration of this important car and to document Porsche heritage in the U.S. in our father’s honor is a great distinction.”
The America Roadster won’t be locked away in a vault now that it’s been added to the Register. The car will actually be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C, this September during the Hagerty Drivers Foundation’s month-long “Cars of the Capital” event.
Click here for more photos of the 1952 Porsche America Roadster (Type 540).
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