1957 Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 GS

The 356 Carrera was built to celebrate Porsche's accomplishments in international sports car racing at events like the grueling, long-distance Carrera Panamericana, and was equipped with a slightly detuned version of the 550 Spyder's complicated 1.5-liter, four-cam, twin-plug racing engine. Prior to production commencing, Porsche built a few 356 Pre-A prototype examples (approximately fourteen speedsters and four coupes), while the production versions used the new high-performance 356 A configuration.

The new Porsche made its debut in 1955 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1956 model wearing the golden Carrera badge, and helped bridge the gap between Porsche's production models and the 550 Spyder racing cars. Among the list of performance enhancements included the 1,500cc flat four-cylinder, Type 547/1, dual overhead camshaft, air-cooled, dry sump, 100 horsepower engine designed by Ernst Furhmann. It featured roller main bearings, an 9.1 compression ratio, and chrome-plated cylinder bores. The engine was backed by a Type 644 four-speed manual transmission with a robust single-piece case and stopping power was courtesy of four-wheel drums. The 82.7-inch wheelbase platform was suspended by an independent front setup with torsion bars, trailing arms, and tubular shock absorbers. In the back was an independent swing-axle with torsion bars, radius arms, and tubular shock absorbers. The larger shock absorbers and revised suspension setup greatly improved the handling of the Carrera over its 356 siblings.

The 1500 could be ordered in any of three 356 A body styles including the speedster, cabriolet, or the Reutter-bodied coupe. 'GS' represented Grand Sport and 'GT' for Grand Turismo. The Grand Sport offered more creature comforts than the stripped-out, lightened, minimalistic Grand Turismo which was intended for racing. The GS Speedster weighed approximately 1,900 pounds and was capable of achieving a top speed of 117 mph.

The Carrera versions were visually similar to their pushrod-engined siblings, with minor distinguishable features that included larger-diameter exhaust pipes, an 8,000 rpm tachometer, a couple of extra dashboard ignition control switches, slightly wider wheels, and a slightly lower rear ride height (due to the engine and external oil tank being heavier than the pushrod engine). The wheel diameter was reduced to 15 inches from the 16-inch size of the Pre-As, and to compensate for the additional 47 kilograms of weight on the Carreras, the wheel widths were increased by a full inch to 4.25 inches. The most visible difference was the addition of the gold 'Carrera' script on the front fenders and rear body panel.

The Type 547/1 engine was very similar in appearance to the 1500RS engines that powered the 550 Spyder racing cars. Its 'four-cam' name was sourced from its pair of overhead camshafts with replaceable lobes that were installed on each cylinder bank. A complex system of bevel gears and shafts drove the camshafts, which were operated via a countershaft off the built-up Hirth roller-bearing crankshaft. Additional Carrera engine features included the light-alloy cylinders with hard-chromed bores, two separate ignition systems that fired the pair of spark plugs per cylinder, an 85-millimeter bore and 66-millimeter stroke (for the 1,498cc displacement), and twin distributors being driven off the ends of the intake cams.

The Carrera Panamericana road race traversed the length of Mexico and was held during the early 1950s. Porsche's little Spyders and production-based coupes were driven by both factory-backed and privateer entries, and their accomplishments were commemorated by the factory via these special edition Carrera models.

The engine originated in 1,300 cubic centimeter form, then grew to 1,500 cubic centimeters, and eventually in displacements ranging upward to a full two liters. The Fuhrmann-designed two-liter unit was very powerful for its size and extremely durable and could thrive at high revolutions. These four-cam, dry-sump engines enjoyed steady development in the racing department, with the largest variant producing upwards of 180 horsepower by the time production ended in 1965.

Only 787 GS/GT Coupés were built by Reutter for the 1957 model year, and 58 of the 141 Speedsters were built in 1957.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2022