Dr.
Ferdinand Porsche's 356th design was modified to compete with the popular
British sports cars that were all the rage in
America during the early
50s (mostly
Triumphs and
Austin-Healys).
The Speedster was released in September of 1954, a stripped down version of the 356 that was cheaper, faster, and just plain better. Simple controls, beautiful lines, and speed.
They stopped making the 356 Speedster in 1958.
Cf. www.speedsters.com for more info