A Modern Classic

“That had been a dream of mine for many years,” says Luca Trazzi at the traditional pasticceria Marchesi 1824 on Via Santa Maria alla Porta in Milan. You can often find him here in the morning enjoying a quick espresso at the glossy counter, served by the skilled barista in a golden-rimmed cup with picture-perfect crema. Trazzi always has his sketchbook and a fineliner pen with him, which he uses to define contours and create designs with quick lines and crosshatching. He says he always has several projects going through his head at the same time.

Design with history

For 62-year-old Trazzi, this special connection to classic cars is a common thread throughout his creative work. After acquiring a degree in architecture in Venice, he spent the next 20 years working with star architect and future industry designer Aldo Rossi, whose work often boasts a high degree of sensitivity and highlights the identity of a specific location. Trazzi, who also established himself as an industry designer in the late 1990s and designed the Illy X1 espresso machine, now a classic, has a similar approach. “History is an important component of my design,” he says.

It’s no different for his most emotional project to date. The Sonderwunsch Speedster is a testament to his respect for Porsche’s tradition and design style, explains Trazzi, strolling down the popular Corso Magenta with a long, sweeping stride. His studio is a short walk of just a few minutes from Café Marchesi in Via San Nicolao. Just under a dozen X1 machines are lined up on the display tables next to many other design objects that Trazzi has developed primarily for Italian brands. These include glasses for Aperol, cookware for Kasanova, and models of large object installations exhibited at past events such as the furniture trade fair in Milan.

Trazzi pulls out the project book that started it all from one of the shelves. Bound in bright-yellow linen, the illustrated book is jam-packed with hand-sketched drawings, renderings, photos of Speedster models, and descriptions of his big dream. “I applied to Porsche with this book,” he says. After all, he’d already thought through everything in his head, completed hundreds of sketches, considered dozens of variants, and evaluated countless details. As a young boy, he fell in love with the beauty of the Speedster, says Trazzi, who grew up in Verona. He was finally able to afford his first at the age of 32, a 356 A Speedster 1600 Super built in 1955. “By making a lot of sacrifices, I was able to pursue my passion – or more appropriately, my mania,” he says in the book.

Passion for life

This mania has persisted to this day. In fact, Trazzi’s impressive Porsche collection now features 35 models, primarily Speedster, including a 911 Carrera 3.2 “slim” and in the “turbo look” (both G-Series built in 1989), the same two again from generation 964 (both built in 1993), a 997 from 2011, and a 991 built in 2020. “My dream was to complete this collection with the 993 Speedster project,” says Trazzi. He wanted to breathe life into everything he personally associated with the history of the Speedster: lightness, the purity of the lines, diversity, precision, and elegance. And, of course, speed.

With their signature shortened front windshield and the rear lid, Speedster variants have been a part of the product history of Porsche since 1954. However, there is a gap in the history of the 911. Aside from the two one-off vehicles and, later, a model rebuilt as part of a factory restoration, there was no Speedster in the regular range of the fourth-generation model, the 993. Luca Trazzi has now filled this gap for himself. “Rather than a copy of the 1995 vehicle, it was supposed to be a state-of-the-art car with a clear identity and defined stylistic elements,” he says. 

Milestone of the Sonderwunsch program

Three years passed between the start of the project in February 2021 and its completion in 2024. Individual details such as the design of the Speedster’s typical rear lid behind the seats required several revisions due to Trazzi’s refinements. In addition, the right shade of yellow first had to be found and mixed, the taillights needed to appear darker, and the power window switches had to be relocated from the door to the central console for a tidier design. A hand-sewn checkered-flag pattern was applied to the turbo seats. Even the engine, a completely rebuilt unit with 300 PS, as used in the 911 Carrera RS (993) at the time, was designed to be streamlined as far as possible, eliminating the transverse climate control duct.

Technicians, vehicle body builders, upholsterers, electricians – at peak times, up to seven trades would be working on the project simultaneously. Porsche designer Grant Larson, who provided design support, viewed himself as Trazzi’s assistant. “When it comes to Sonderwunsch factory one-offs, the customer is the head designer and project manager,” explains Setter. “It’s the first one-off of its kind. A milestone in the Sonderwunsch program. The fact that we have the opportunity to implement such a unique project for a customer is a unique selling point.”

A Speedster full of historical influences

And Luca Trazzi? He’s now happily seated in the low, sporty driver’s seat, explaining all the details from the Speedster’s history that went into the vehicle. There’s the three-row black and yellow checkered pattern of the seats, a feature taken from the 997. The double humps “a mix from the 964, 997, and 991. They were the biggest challenge because they’re still very different and taller. They provide the car with a touch of personality,” says Trazzi. The rear air intake grille is reminiscent of the 997; the doors are from the 964. “The side mirrors take their inspiration from the historic motorsport models such as the 356 A Carrera GT Speedster and the 911 Speedster Concept (991), which was unveiled in Paris in 2018.”

The 18-inch alloy wheels in Turbo design are painted black, with the fineline in contrasting Otto Yellow. The Italian acknowledges that it would have been easier to design a completely new car than one that invokes all of the past Speedster models. But the result wouldn’t have been this unique. Now headed for Spirago, south of the city, Trazzi rattles off all of the design details just as smoothly as he shifts gears and accelerates. He knows it all inside and out.

The unadulterated driving experience

After all, he has spent more than enough time considering all of the nuances with his technician, Dario, who’s responsible for looking after Trazzi’s Speedster collection out in the countryside. Trazzi turns up the modern sound system when Blondie’s Sunday Girl comes on. He enjoys driving fast, ideally with music from his generation and on the most challenging routes like the San Bernardino Pass and the Imola racetrack. But occasionally also on his way to Lake Como for an espresso at the waterfront. He says he loves the “unadulterated driving experience.” With a stick shift rather than an automatic and with a classic instrument panel rather than digital displays. Cameras, reversing sensors, parking assistants – none of that appeals to him.

“Hurry up, hurry up,” sings Blondie, accompanied by the roar of the engine. And Trazzi, as if following orders, pushes the pedal to the metal, unintimidated by the fog that has settled over the area surrounding Milan like a woolen cloth. He pays a visit to his Speedster cars at least once a week. “There’s always something to discuss, always something to do.” He and his mechanic, Dario, share a great passion for the brand – as well as for pasta and other delicacies served up for lunch at the neighboring osteria La Cassina.

The secret behind an iconic design

What does he consider to be good Italian design? Trazzi pauses to think for a moment, his gaze turned to the street. “I associate classic Italian design with the 1950s and 1960s,” he says, adding that everything ever since has been more international – unfortunately, more interchangeable. Few products stand the test of time. “The moment you’ve created them, they’re already outdated.”

But that doesn’t apply to his creations. The Illy X1 espresso machine he designed in the mid-1990s now enjoys cult status, with more than 600,000 sold worldwide to date. And it’s no coincidence that the front of the machine is reminiscent of the dashboard in a classic car – history played a role here, too.

Trazzi found inspiration in the cockpit of the Fiat 500, which he drove as an architecture student. The red control light recalls the turn signals of older car models, while the slim chrome frame on the top is inspired by the design style of classic bumpers. In its own way, the X1 tells the story of Trazzi’s long-held desire to design a car that fully aligns with his vision – while still respecting what came before.

“Porsche has managed to stay true to its principles over the years, from the 1950s to the present day,” he says, navigating the curve of what feels like the 20th traffic circle at a swift speed. To this day, he’s still fascinated not only by the performance of the engines, but also by the iconic design. For designer Luca Trazzi, the chance to join the ranks himself with a factory one-off is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

We finally arrive at a farm, once an agricultural estate, whose former stables and brick halls with large windows now house the treasured Porsche vehicles under protective covers.

Luca Trazzi roams around the models, lifting a protective cover here and there to reveal one of his favorites. He then points to his latest acquisition, a yellow 356 A 1600 S Speedster, built in 1955, with only around 1,000 kilometers on the odometer, raised on a lifting platform. “Unbelievable, isn’t it?” says Trazzi in amazement, inspecting the rust-free underbody.

Has he ever sold one of his Speedster? He shakes his head energetically. “Never!” It’s safe to say that all of these Speedster in their bright colors are a part of his life. So it’s all the more inspiring that the new one-off not only pays tribute to the history of its sibling models, but will also write history itself. Luca Trazzi only came to this realization last summer, toward the end of the three-year project journey. Having traveled to Stuttgart again to observe the final steps, he decided to pay another visit to the Heritage and Museum department, accompanied by customer consultant Philipp Setter.

The Porsche employee opened a cabinet with folders for the various models developed here over the years. One of them was labeled with his name, Luca Trazzi. “It was at that point that I realized our Sonderwunsch factory one-off was now part of the company’s history,” he says. To this day, Trazzi still gets emotional just thinking about it. As someone who has always honored the history of the Speedster, he has now become part of it himself.