The Porsche 356 is a luxury sports car which was first produced by Austrian
company Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH, and then by German company Dr. Ing. h.
c. F. Porsche GmbH. It was Porsche's first production automobile. Earlier
cars designed by the Austrian company includes Cisitalia Grand Prix race car,
and the Volkswagen Beetle as well as Auto Union Grand Prix cars were designed
by the German company. The 356 was a lightweight and
nimble-handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2-door sports car
available in hardtop coupé and open configurations. Engineering innovations
continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its
motorsports success and popularity. Production started in 1948 at Gmünd,
Austria, where approximately 50 cars were built. In 1950 the factory
relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and general production of the 356 continued
until April 1965, well after the replacement model 911 made its autumn
1963 debut. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half survive.
History Prior to World War II Porsche designed
and built three Type 64 cars for a 1939 Berlin to Rome race that was cancelled.
In 1948 the mid-engine, tubular chassis 356 prototype called "No. 1" was
completed. This led to some debate as to the "first" Porsche automobile, but the
356 is considered by Porsche to be its first production model.
The 356 was created by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche, who founded the Austrian
company with his sister, Louise. Like its cousin, the Volkswagen Beetle, the
356 was a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car
utilizing unitized pan and body construction. The chassis was a
completely new design as was the 356's body which was designed by Porsche
employee Erwin Komenda, while certain mechanical components including the
engine case and some suspension components were based on and initially
sourced from Volkswagen. Ferry Porsche described the thinking behind the
development of the 356 in an interview with the editor of Panorama, the PCA
magazine, in September 1972. "….I had always driven very speedy cars. I had an
Alfa Romeo, also a BMW and others. ….By the end of the war I had a Volkswagen
Cabriolet with a supercharged engine and that was the basic idea. I saw that if
you had enough power in a small car it is nicer to drive than if you have a big
car which is also overpowered. And it is more fun. On this basic idea we started
the first Porsche prototype. To make the car lighter, to have an engine with more
horsepower…that was the first two seater that we built in Carinthia".
The first 356 was road certified in Austria on June 8, 1948, and was entered
in a race in Innsbruck where it won its class. Porsche re-engineered and refined
the car with a focus on performance. Fewer and fewer parts were shared
between Volkswagen and Porsche as the '50's progressed. The early 356
automobile bodies produced at Gmünd were handcrafted in aluminum, but when
production moved to Zuffenhausen, Germany in 1950, models produced there
were steel-bodied. Looking back, the aluminum bodied cars from that very
small company are what we now would refer to as prototypes. Porsche
contracted with Reutter to build the steel bodies and eventually bought the
Reutter company in 1963. The Reutter company retained the seat manufacturing
part of the business and changed its name to Recaro.
Little noticed at its inception, mostly by a small number of auto racing
enthusiasts, the first 356s sold primarily in Austria and Germany. It
took Porsche two years, starting with the first prototype in 1948, to
manufacture the first 50 automobiles. By the early 1950s the 356 had gained some
renown among enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic for its aerodynamics,
handling, and excellent build quality. The class win at Le Mans in 1951 was
clearly a factor. It was always common for owners to race the car as well as
drive them on the streets. They introduced the four-cam racing "Carrera"
engine, a totally new design and unique to Porsche sports cars, in late 1954.
Increasing success with its racing and road cars brought Porsche orders for
over 10,000 units in 1964, and by the time 356 production ended in 1965
approximately 76,000 had been produced. The 356 was built in four distinct
series, the original, followed by the 356A, 356B, and then finally the 356C.
To distinguish among the major revisions of the model, 356's are generally
classified into a few major groups. 356 coupés and "cabriolets" built through
1955 are readily identifiable by their split or bent windscreens. In late 1955
the 356A appeared, with a curved windshield. The A was the first road
going Porsche to offer the Carrera 4 cam engine as an option. In late 1959 the T5
356B appeared; followed by the redesigned T6 series 356B in 1962. The
final version was the 356C, little changed from the late T-6 B cars but
with the disc brakes all around. Prior to completion of 356 production,
Porsche had developed a higher-revving 616/36 version of the 356's
four-cylinder pushrod engine for installation in a new 912 model that
commenced production in April 1965. Although the 912 utilized numerous 356
components, it would not be accurate to say that Porsche intended the 912 to
replace the 356. When the decision was made to replace
the 356, the 901 [later 911] was the road car designed to carry the Porsche
name forward. Rather the 912 was developed as the "standard version" of
the 911 at the 17,500DM price of a 356SC, while the complex but faster and
heavier six-cylinder 911 would be priced more than fifty percent higher.
Enthusiasts purchased nearly 33,000 912 coupés and Targas powered by the Type
616 engine that had served Porsche so well during the 356 era.
356 "pre-A" From the earliest, 1100 cc Gmünd
beginnings, the overall shape of the 356 remained more or less set. In 1951, 1300
and 1500 cc engines with considerably more power were introduced. By late 1952
the divided windscreen was gone, replaced by a V-shaped unit which fit
into the same opening. In 1953, the 1300 S or "Super" was introduced, and the
1100 cc engine was dropped. In late 1954 Max Hoffman, the sole US importer of
Porsches, convinced Porsche to build a stripped down roadster version with
minimal equipment and a cut-down windscreen. Towards the end of the
original 356's time Hoffman, wanting a model name rather than just a number got
the factory to use the name "Continental" which was applied mostly
to cars sold in the United States. Ford, makers of the Lincoln Continental, sued.
This name was used only in 1955 and today this one year version is
especially valued. For 1956, the equivalent version was briefly sold as
the "European". Today all of the earliest Porsches are highly coveted by
collectors and enthusiasts worldwide based on their design, reliability and
sporting performance. 356A
In late 1955, with numerous small but significant changes, the 356A was
introduced. Its internal factory designation, "Type 1", gave rise to its
nickname "T1" among enthusiasts. In early 1957 a second revision of the 356A
was produced, known as Type 2. Production of the Speedster peaked at
1,171 cars in 1957 and then started to decline. The four-cam "Carrera" engine,
initially available only in the Spyder race cars, became an available option
starting with the 356A. 356B
In late 1959 significant styling and technical refinements gave rise to the
356B. The mid-1962 356B model was changed to the T6 body type. It is
interesting to note that the Porsche factory didn't call attention to these
quite visible changes with a different model designation. However, when the T6
got disc brakes, with no other visible alterations, they called it the model C,
or the SC when it had the optional extra powerful engine. A unique "Karmann
Hardtop" or "Notchback" 356B model was produced in 1961 and 1962. The 1961
production run was essentially a cabriolet body with the optional steel
cabriolet hardtop welded in place. The 1962 line was a very different design in
that the new T6 notchback coupé body did not start life as a cabriolet, but with
its own production design—In essence, part cabriolet rear end design, part T6
coupé windshield frame, unique hard top. Both years of these unique cars have
taken the name "Karmann Notchback". 356C
The last revision of the 356 was the 356C introduced for the 1964 model year.
It featured disc brakes all round, as well as an option for the most powerful
pushrod engine Porsche had ever produced, the 95 hp "SC". 356 production
peaked at 14,151 cars in 1964, the year that its successor, the new 911, was
introduced to the US market. The company continued to sell the 356C in North
America through 1965 as demand for the model remained quite strong in the early
days of the heavier and more "civilized" 911. The last ten 356's were assembled
for the Dutch police force in March 1966 as 1965 models.
Body styles The car was built of a unibody
construction, making restoration difficult for cars that were kept in
rust-prone climates. The basic design of the 356 remained the same throughout its
lifespan, with evolutionary, functional improvements rather than annual
superficial styling changes. Nevertheless a variety of models in both
coupé and convertible forms were produced from 1948 through 1965.
One of the most desirable collector models is the 356 "Speedster",
introduced in late 1954 after Max Hoffman advised the company that a
lower-cost, somewhat spartan open-top version could sell well in the American
market. With its low, raked windscreen, bucket seats and minimal folding top,
the Speedster was an instant hit, especially in Southern California.
It was replaced in late 1958 by the "Convertible D" model. It featured a
taller, more practical windshield, roll-up glass side-windows and more
comfortable seats. The following year the 356B "Roadster" convertible replaced
the D model but the sports car market's love affair with top-down motoring was
fading; soft-top 356 model sales declined significantly in the early
1960s. Cabriolet models were offered from the
start, and in the early 1950s sometimes comprised over 50% of total production.
A unique "Karmann Hardtop" or "Notchback" 356B model was produced in
1961 and 1962, essentially a cabriolet-style body with a permanent
metal roof. Engine
Porsche designers made the decision to utilize the engine case they had
originally designed for the Volkswagen Beetle. It was an air-cooled pushrod OHV
flat-four engine. For use in the 356, they designed new cylinder heads,
camshaft, crankshaft, intake and exhaust manifolds and used dual carburetors to
more than double the VW's horsepower. While the first prototype 356 had a
mid-engine layout, all later 356's had a rear-mounted layout. When the four-cam
"Carrera" engine became available in late 1955, this engine became an extra
cost option starting with the 356A, and was available through the 356 model run.
= Electric motor= There are kits to convert a Porsche 356
Speedster to an electric vehicle. Legacy
The 356 has always been popular with the motor press. In 2004, Sports Car
International ranked the 356C tenth on their list of Top Sports Cars of the
1960s. Today, the Porsche 356 is a highly regarded collector car. The
Porsche 356 Carrera, SC, Super 90 and Speedster models are today among the
most desirable 356 models. Few 356 Carreras were produced and these often
bring well over $250,000 at auction. A fully restored 356 Carrera Speedster
will sell for around $300,000 at auction.
The original selling price of a late 1950s Porsche was around US$4,000, which
was also the price of a new Cadillac; today they regularly bring between
US$20,000 and well over US$100,000 at auction.
Thousands of owners worldwide maintain the 356 tradition, preserving their cars
and driving them regularly. The US-based 356 Registry on its website states that
it is "...world's largest classic Porsche club."
356 in racing The Porsche 356, close to stock or
highly modified, has enjoyed much success in rallying, the 24 hours of Le
Mans, the 1000 km Buenos Aires, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the
Carrera Panamericana, as well as many other important car racing events.
Several Porsche 356s were stripped down in weight, and were modified in order to
have better performance and handling for these races. A few notable examples
include the Porsche 356 SL, and the Porsche 356A Carrera GT.
In the early 1960s Porsche collaborated with Abarth and built the Porsche 356B
Carrera GTL Abarth coupé, which enjoyed some success in motor sports.
See also Porsche 64
Porsche 550 Spyder Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche
Porsche Salzburg Fritz Huschke von Hanstein
Lake Underwood—an American race driver who helped popularise the model
Notes References
Wood, J. Porsche: The Legend. Paragon. ISBN 0-7525-2072-5.
External links 1959 Porsche Speedster powered by a
Fuhrmann Four Cam Engine Video of the Four Cam 356 Carrera engine
Porsche 356 Registry: non-profit international group of owners and
enthusiasts since 1974 Complete Porsche 356 Restoration
1960 Porsche 356 Super 75 road test