When World War II came to a close in 1945, Britain claimed control of the Volkswagen factory at KdF-Stadt. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche lost his position as chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen, was arrested for war crimes (albeit, not tried), and imprisoned for twenty months. Ferry Porsche, the son of Ferdinand, built a car during his father's absence as he was unimpressed with what the market had to offer. The design was by Erwin Komenda and the mechanical components were sourced from Volkswagen. His father was released in August of 1947 and the first models of what was to become the 356 were constructed in a small sawmill in Gmünd, Austria.Porsche had designed and built three Type 64 cars prior to World War II with the intention of racing in the Berlin-to-Rome race in 1939; however, the event was canceled. The chassis 356 prototype (called 'No. 1') and the production model that followed are considered to be the 'first' Porsche (Porsche badged) automobile. Although the Type 356-001 was a one-off rear-mid engine roadster, the 356/2 coupes of 1948–49 were rear-engined and their body shells were hand-hammered of light alloy sheet over a wooden buck in the old Austrian sawmill. A contract was received to construct 50 of these aerodynamic coupes at Gmünd before the company relocated to the outskirts of Stuttgart. Most were sold in Germany and Austria. Now known as prototypes, the two earliest examples are featured in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.A handful of employees working on a modest assembly line stamped, cut and welded sheets of steel into a rolling chassis. They were clothed in steel coachwork and body styles would include coupe and cabriolets created by Reutter and Karosserie Glaser. Karosseriewerk Reutter had been building limousine bodies since the 1930s and their excellent reputation and build quality made them a natural choice for Porsche; they would become the main supplier of Porsche bodies for the next two decades. The first coupe 356 left the assembly line in Stuttgart on April 6th, 1950.Labeled Type 356/2, they were mechanically similar to those constructed at Gmünd. The Type 369 air-cooled flat four-cylinder engine displaced 1,086cc and offered 40 horsepower. It was based largely on its Volkswagen forebears, and by 1951 these motors had gained chrome bores, aluminum cylinders, 6.5 compression, and a pair of 32-millimeter Solex single-throat carburetors. Output rose slightly to 44 hp but its weight reduction was impressive - at approximately 12 pounds. The front suspension was courtesy of the Volkswagen and tubular shocks were used at the front and rear. Hydraulic brakes (leading shoe front brakes with finned drums), a first for Porsche, were adopted. Styling distinctions of the 1950 and 1951 Porsches are their two-piece, flat-glass windshields. The slim body-colored bumpers fit snuggly to the body, accentuating the vehicle's slippery aerodynamics that was crucial to overcoming the limited horsepower.
Roadster by Sauter
View info and historyThe 'Model 51' was introduced in March of 1951, with chassis numbers expanding to five digits.A pair of aluminum-shelled racing coupes, designated 356 SL (for 'Sports Leicht'), were entered in the 1951 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although one was damaged in night-time practice, the other example put the competition on notice as it was co-driven by Paris Porsche distributor Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche to victory in the Sport 1.1 Class (20th overall). This would be the first of many victories for the German marque at Sarthe. The split screen style ended for the 1952 model year and then in 1955, was succeeded by the 356 A. From 1948 to 1966, Porsche produced 76,313 examples of its 356 including 7,627 examples from 1948 to 1955.
by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022
Roadster by Sauter
View info and history
by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022
Related Reading : Porsche 356 History
During the war, Ferdinand Ferry Porsche and a handful of his proven, faithful employees had started work on development number 356 in their workshops moved to the town of Gmünd in Karnten. The first design drawings were completed on 17 July 1947, and on 8 June 1948, the Karnten state government issued a special permit homologating the car. Returning home after being held by the French as a prisoner....
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Related Reading : Porsche 356 History
The Porsche 365C has been named the number ten on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s by Sports Car International in 2004. The Porsche 356 is still widely regarded as a collector car that has capably stood the test of time. There is some debate over which vehicle was the first official Porsche, the pre-war Porsche 64 being actually a VW racing automobile. The 356 was a sports car designed....
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356 Specification Comparison by Year
Year
Production
Wheelbase
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1,297
82.70 in.
4 cyl., 66.27 CID., 39.00hp
4 cyl., 78.48 CID., 43.00hp
4 cyl., 90.80 CID., 54.00hp
4 cyl., 78.48 CID., 43.00hp
4 cyl., 90.80 CID., 54.00hp
$4,280 - $4,580
82.70 in.
4 cyl., 97.64 CID., 50.00hp
4 cyl., 78.48 CID., 59.00hp
4 cyl., 96.54 CID., 59.00hp
4 cyl., 96.54 CID., 74.00hp
4 cyl., 96.85 CID., 113.00hp
4 cyl., 78.48 CID., 59.00hp
4 cyl., 96.54 CID., 59.00hp
4 cyl., 96.54 CID., 74.00hp
4 cyl., 96.85 CID., 113.00hp
$3,200 - $5,900
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