The little sports car that started a dynasty
Driving the light classics a delight
BERN, SWITZERLAND • The quartet of 356 models from the Porsche Museum parked outside the doors of the Hotel Schweizerhof in Bern was impossibly cute, causing passersby, young and old alike, to stop and gawk, take photos and generally smile at the shiny, little rearengine jelly beans.
Yet the four 356 sports cars do much more than fill a period of Porsche’s history — between founder Dr. Ferdinand Porsche’s prewar Volkswagen Beetle design and the nowlegendary and enduring 911 in 1963 — especially with this being the company’s 70th anniversary.
It all started in 1948 in Gmund, Austria with what the company now calls Porsche 356-001, but was then referred to as the VW Sport (Type 356), a sports car with a tubular frame and lightweight metal body, and the mid-mounted engine, along with transmission, rear axle, front axle, steering, wheels and brakes, all originating from Volkswagen.
Switzerland looms large in the Porsche’s history, everything from financial support from Swiss businessmen that helped keep the small and struggling company afloat during the difficult postwar years to the debut of the “Sport 356/1” on July 4, 1948 at the Bern Grand Prix at Circuit Bremgarten. And, on July 7, the first review of a Porsche appeared in Swiss magazine Automobil-Revue.
That afternoon saw us, a small international group of auto writers, jumping in and out of the four lightweight, four-cylinder 356s on a route that took us south from the Swiss capital — until the German road signs became French — and then back again. On winding country roads through pastoral valleys, we got a feel for the sports cars that launched Porsche’s reputation. Despite the fact they were all 356s, each car displayed a distinct personality.
The oldest car of the four was also the prettiest, a 1956 356 A 1600 S Coupé. With its 1.6-litre, air-cooled fourcylinder pushing out an infinitesimal 60 horsepower, the 850-kilogram coupe had its work cut out for it to maintain speed, especially on hillier road sections, requiring frequent downshifts of the four-speed manual transmission.
An almost-delicate gear lever and a long and wide throw made for what oldtimers call “mop in pail” shifting. Throwing in an extra measure of sphincter tightening, especially on downhill sections, was what seemed an almost complete lack of brakes; the four-wheel drum units were softer than SpongeBob SquarePants.
A clear favourite for most was the 1958 356 A 1600 Super Speedster, a spartan, über-lightweight convertible that had great sales success in the United States. Tipping the scales at just 760 kg, lightening measures included non-reclining race bucket seats and no side windows in the doors. The 1.6-L flat-four put out a respectable 75 hp. Steering, as with all the 356s driven, had an inch or two of play on centre, but otherwise carved corners with precision. Best of all, the brakes, still drums all around, were far more effective in slowing the car.
The 1962 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet is an ultra-rare model, with a stratospheric valuation to go with it — about $1.2-million if it ever came to market. Though Porsche built some 31,400 356 Bs between 1959 and 1963, just 310 were Carrera 2s and, of those, only 34 were convertibles. Carrera 2s were fitted with a 2.0-L fourcam race engine developed by Porsche engineer Ernst Furhmann. Putting out 130 hp in the Cabriolet, other Carrera 2 versions were good for 160 to 170 hp, making them the fastest road-legal Porsches at the time. The cars also became the first roadgoing Porsches to have fourwheel disc brakes, developed from the Type 804 F1 race car.
The only trouble with the Fuhrmann engine is that it is happiest at higher revs; it tended to stumble a bit at lower rpm and in heavier traffic. Otherwise, taking it up to 5,500 rpm created a din from the back that deafened while also raising the hairs on the back of one’s neck.
The final ride was in a 1963 356 B 1600 Super 90 Coupe. That was the final year for the Bs; the C model that replaced it for the 1964 model year lasted until April 1965, when production of the 356 ended. This car was fitted with the most powerful version of the 1.6-L pushrod four-cylinder, with 90 hp (hence the Super 90 designation; other models put out 60 and 75 hp). As one of the later Bs, this car was easier to drive than the others, tighter and more comfortable with a few more features. (It should be noted none of the cars are particularly comfy for taller drivers. The large-diameter steering wheels — no power steering or tilt/telescoping function — meant I drove splay-legged most of the time.)
The next morning was July 4, 70 years to the day the 356-001 was unveiled at what was once the site of the Bern Grand Prix. The first car, which was sold shortly after its construction, was reacquired by Porsche in 1958.
Two-seater, open-cockpit 356-001 is elegantly simple with its lightweight, torpedoshaped aluminum body and mid-engine layout, the 1,131cc four-cylinder putting out just 35 hp. But, weighing just 585 kg, the 001, contends the Porsche Museum, is “exceptionally nimble and feisty” with a top speed of 135 km/h (less so its reported acceleration of 23 seconds to reach 100 km/h).
The time spent behind the wheel of each car was exceedingly pleasant — a gentle reminder of a simpler period. And of a then-struggling company, headed by a mechanical genius, that used ordinary, existing technology to produce some very extraordinary sports cars.