Covin Speedster

About this Collectable

The 356 was where it all started for Porsche. The iconic Speedster is the most sought after version. Unfortunately, that means that 356 Speedsters are quite pricey (read: unattainable). Fortunately, there is an affordable alternative in the form of this Covin Speedster, with Porsche looks and a matching four-cylinder boxer engine.

Covin might need a little introduction. Covin Performance Moldings was a British kit car manufacturer specializing in Porsche replicas. The company was founded in 1983 by Tim Cook and Nick Vincent, which also explains the name. In the 1980s, Covin was best known for their 911 replicas.

However, they also built some 356 replicas, which are a lot rarer. Only about thirty of these have been sold by Covin. After Covin 1990 went defunct, DJ Sportscars continued to sell the Speedster for two years, but it is unknown how many were sold during that time.

One of the few Covin Speedsters has found its way to the Netherlands. This 1991 car is one of the later examples, which means that this Speedster was not built on a Beetle chassis, but on Covin's own tubular frame.

In the back of the Covin Speedster a Volkswagen Type 4 engine can be found, a 1,9 liter four-cylinder boxer engine. This engine was not originally delivered in the 356 Speedster, but it is closely related to the engine that was delivered in the Porsche 914. Originally a 1,8 liter engine with injection, this has been converted to a 1,9 liter block with dual Dellorto carburettors. The power output is now approximately 95 hp.

Until 3 years ago, the car was with the first owner in England, who bought and built the kit car in 1991. The car was then brought to the Netherlands by Kitcarcollection and converted to left-hand drive by the current owner.

The recent maintenance was carried out at air-cooled Volkswagen specialist Oldtimerparts in Etten-Leur. The odometer indicates a mileage of 80.400 km, but that's because the odometer is derived from a Porsche 944. The actual mileage of this car is estimated to be around 4.000 km.

Equipment

This car is equipped with:

• Seperate roof + side windows
• Upholstery articificial leather

Modifications

The car has been converted from RHD to LHD by the current owner, with original Volkswagen parts. The original 1,8 liter Volkswagen Type 4 AP engine has been enlarged to 1,9 liters. In addition, two Dellorto carburettors have been installed as well as several other modifications. This results in a power output of approximately 95 hp, whereas the original power output was 68 hp. The car is also equipped with a stainless steel exhaust.

Remarks

The car is in neat condition, except for some minor signs of wear (documented on the photos):

• Light stone chips on the nose
• Small spot on the back near the tailgate
• Small damage on the chrome strip on the rear bumper
• Minor damage to the leather on the passenger seat

Important to know: the odometer originates from a Porsche 944. The indicated mileage of 80.400 km is the mileage of the 944. The odometer has been replaced in 2019. Since the previous odometer was also a used one (from a Volkswagen Type 3) the actual mileage is unknown. It is estimated that the car has only driven around 4.000 km.

Service history

Maintenance in the Netherlands was carried out by air-cooled Volkswagen specialist Oldtimerparts in Etten-Leur. The most important points from the recent maintenance history are:

• May 7, 2020 - Oldtimerparts: city lights replaced, CO adjusted, engine rubber replaced
• September 6, 2019 - Oldtimerparts: e.g. engine/ignition/carburetors adjusted, oil changed

See photos for the accompanying invoices. The invoices for the maintenance in the Netherlands are available. There are no maintenance invoices from the period in England because the owner (who also built the kitcar) carried out the maintenance himself. Further documentation from the first owner is present (including invoice from Covin and original building instructions).

Included with sale

• Two keys
• Folder with all invoices and original building instructions

About the seller

There are a lot of people who would like to own a Porsche 356, but very few people can actually buy one. The seller came pretty close with this Covin Speedster. Which is also a unique car in and of itself. That's one of the reasons he bought the Covin Speedster. The seller also has a actual Porsche in his possession: a Boxster 50 Years 550 Spyder. Since the owner is in need of space, the Covin Speedster now has to leave the garage.

Summary

Seller - Vincent
Seller type - Private
Location - The Netherlands
VIN - SABTVR03461101135
Year of production - 1991
Mileage - Unkown, approx. 4.000 km (odometer indicates 80.400 km, but is derived from a 944)
Warranty - No
Body type - Convertible
Engine - 1,9 liter four cylinder boxer engine with approx. 95 hp
Lay-out - Rear-wheel drive
Transmission - 4-speed manual (Volkswagen Type 3)
Exterior colour - Grey
Interior colour - Red
Upholstery - Artificial leather
Smoker's car - No
Owners - 2 (including current)
Tires - Maxxis Victory 510 (9 mm)

The description of this Collectable has been created with the utmost care, based on information from and validated by the seller. The Collectables performs a (pre) selection based on the information provided and consults public sources for any irregularities. However, bidders themselves must ascertain the correctness of the description and can, if desired, have a personal investigation carried out. All Collectables on our platform can be subjected to any possible inspection, investigation or valuation by buyers in advance, of course in consultation with the seller. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more details.