1955 Porsche 356

As the 356th design study by Dr. Porsche, the 356 reigns as one of the longest running body styles. Out of the ashes of WWII and on the 'heels' of his successful Volkswagen design, Dr. Porsche invented an icon. The 356 went through iterations A, B, and C before ultimately being replaced by the 911 model. The shape of the 356 led to its nickname, the 'bathtub' Porsche.

No sports car is as recognizable or has as sensational history as the 356. Porsche's first production automobile earned racing victories during its production run from 1948 to 1965. Earlier cars designed by the company included the Volkswagen Beetle as well as Auto-Union and Cisitalia Grand Prix racecars. The 356 is a lightweight and nimble-handling rear-engine, rear-wheel drive two-door sports car available in hardtop coupe and cabriolet models. The first 50 cars, aluminum-bodied prototypes, were built in Gmund, Austria before the factory relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany in 1950. Zuffenhausen 356s are steel, with bodies built by Reutter, which Porsche bought in 1963.

Ferdinand 'Ferry' Porsche created the 356. Like its Volkswagen cousin, the car was made with a unitized pan and body construction. The chassis and body were a completely new design. The car has a 1.5-liter, 55 horsepower flat-four, air-cooled engine. The basic design of the 356 did not change during its production cycle, with minor improvements, not superficial styling changes. Cabriolets were offered from the start, and comprised nearly 50 percent of production.

The 1955 Porsche 356
1955 was the final year of production of the Porsche pre-A 356, which had begun in 1955. Max Hoffman was the sole U.S. importer of Porsche products at the time. He convinced Porsche that Americans did not buy cars with numbers for names. Hoffman created the name 'Speedster' for the stripped-down 356 and 'Continental' for the coupe and cabriolet. The 'Continental' name was short-lived, as Ford Motor Company insisted that Porsche drop it, as it conflicted with the name of Ford's newest division. The Continentals were recalled and badged as 'Europeans.'

Specifications
The Porsche 356 rested on a 82.7-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 151.6 inches, a width of 65.4 inches, and stood 51.2 inches tall. The rear-mounted engine drove the rear wheels and was paired with a four-speed manual transmission in the rear transaxle. Steering was by worm and peg and hydraulic front and rear drum brakes provided stopping power. The horizontally opposed engine had solid valve lifters, four main bearings, cast-iron cylinder liners, and used air for cooling. With a 66.3 cubic-inch (1066cc) displacement, 7.0:1 compression, and two Solex carburetors, the engine offered 40 (DIN) horsepower at 4,000 RPM and 50 lbs-ft of torque at 2,800 RPM. The 78.5 CID version with aluminum cylinders liners and 6.5:1 compression brought output to 44 (DIN) horsepower and 58 ft-lbs of torque. With 8.2:1 compression, output rose to 60 (DIN) horsepower and 63 ft-lbs of torque.

The Speedster, introduced in September of 1954, was priced at $2,995, with an optional tachometer and heater boosting the price further. For an additional $500, the Super engine could be installed giving the Super Speedster a top speed of approximately 120 mph.