The INTERMECCANICA ROADSTER, a
faithful reproduction of the Porsche 1959 356A Convertible "D", is the
- distillation of almost 40 years of work in the automotive field by
Frank Reisner and his family. Frank Reisner,
- as so Many others, was instantly attracted to the shape and
engineering of the original Porsche 356's when
- they appeared on the post war scene in Europe. His later personal
experiences with the cars in the 1950's
- further strengthened his bond with these automobiles and was an
influence in launching Frank Reisner into a
- life long automotive career founding and running INTERMECCANICA.
(A full company history is available.)
- Upon Frank Reisner's return to North America in 1975 his interest
in 356's and specifically the Speedster
- resulted in the original Speedster replica built by INTERMECCANICA
in Santa Ana, California. The years
between 1976 and 1979 saw some 600
INTERMECCANICA Speedsters produced, which are today themselves collected and driven by
proud owners.
-
- In 1981 Frank Reisner, a Canadian citizen, moved his family and
INTERMECCANICA operation to Vancouver,
- Canada, bringing with him the prototype and the tooling for the
new ROADSTER, the 356 Convertible "D"
- replica. The ROADSTER was for INTERMECCANICA much as it was for
Porsche, the next logical step after
- the, Speedster. The ROADSTER addressed many of the shortcomings of
the Speedster without straying from
- its sporting feel. The taller windshield made visibility
excellent, the roll-up side glass gave the car its much
- needed four season protection, as did the full scissors action top
with its large wrap around rear window. The
ROADSTER became a car, as much fun as
practical and safe with the top up or down, while still capturing the essence of what the
356 roadsters were about.
-
- Since 1981 INTERMECCANICA has never stopped improving the
ROADSTER. This has kept the car at the
- forefront of its class and has created a faithful following around
the world. The development has been taken
- down two paths, one improving the general vehicle dynamics: its
strength, safety, handling, driver ergonomics
- and all season practicability. The other, pushing to make the
ROADSTER increasingly more faithful to its
forefathers in general terms as well
as in specific detail. These are two paths that have many converging points and have
resulted in a competent sports car with an inimitable look and feel.
-
- What follows are highlights of some ROADSTER characteristics. A
visit to the factory would be more
- informative and give you an appreciation for the level of finish
as well as the care taken in construction. We at
- INTERMECCANICA are always happy to give tours, please call and
make an appointment You are also
- encouraged to call if you have further
questions about our ROADSTER.
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