The Porsche 356 was the company’s first production car and the model that started Porsche’s sports car story. It may look quite simple today, but the 356 introduced many of the ideas that would later become part of Porsche’s identity.
The first 356 was the 356/1 prototype, built by Ferry Porsche and his team in Gmünd, Austria, in 1948. It used a tubular spaceframe with an aluminium body and a mid-mounted 1.1-litre Volkswagen-derived engine making 40 hp. It also went racing pretty quickly, winning its class at its first event in Innsbruck.
In 1950, Porsche moved production to Stuttgart. The hand-built aluminium bodies used in Gmünd were replaced by steel bodies made by Reutter. This allowed Porsche to move towards proper series production instead of building the cars almost entirely by hand.
Then came the 356 Speedster in 1954. The car was created following a request from US importer Max Hoffman, who wanted a cheaper and simpler sports car for the American market.
The Speedster was quite basic compared with other 356 models. It had a low-cut windscreen, a minimal interior and bucket seats. It was also relatively light, which helped make it popular with people who wanted to take their cars racing.
The 356A arrived in 1955 with some updates, including revised suspension and a curved windscreen. This generation also introduced the Four-Cam Carrera engine developed by Ernst Fuhrmann. The 1.5-litre Type 547 engine could produce up to 110 hp, which was a lot more serious than the standard engines.
Porsche continued updating the 356 with the 356B in 1959. The body was changed with higher headlights and bumpers, while later T6 versions received twin engine grilles.
The last version was the 356C, which arrived in 1963. It came with four-wheel disc brakes, revised suspension and a 95 hp SC engine. Production ended in 1965 as Porsche prepared to move on to the 911.
Over its lifetime, the 356 was offered with several air-cooled flat-four engines, ranging from around 40 hp to 130 hp depending on the version and engine.
The 356 was never about having huge power. It was small, light and fairly simple, but it helped establish what a Porsche sports car could be. The Speedster in particular became one of the most recognisable versions and is still one of the classic Porsches people remember today.
