What do you make of this restored Porsche 356?

The Americans among you may have heard of the Porsche Restoration Challenge. The competition, run by Porsche USA, challenges 40 of the company’s main dealers in North America to buy and restore an old Porsche of their choosing. The winner is set to be announced in September, and this 1955 356 Speedster is one of the contenders…

It’s the work of Porsche Santa Clarita, which is run by the Galpin group of dealerships, and it’s certainly… colourful. The “custom-mixed Blue-Green paint” is reminiscent of TG’s own Morgan Plus Four longtermer, which is actually finished in a Nineties BMW colour but was originally conceived as something of a tribute to the Porsche 964. Does it work on this 66 year-old Porsche, though?

The wheels are magnesium Halibrand knock-offs from 1960, finished in gold then clear-coated. The interior is trimmed in red leather with tartan inserts. The 356, which the dealer bought from only its second owner ("a California local who had modified the 356 for racing during his 50 years of ownership”), is mechanically standard save for an upgraded 1600SC flat-four engine.

What do you reckon?