Pure brilliance from Porsche
The high quality and performance of the 356 range made it successful both in Europe and in the USA
BY far one of the most brilliant designs in automotive history is the original Porsche – the 356.
Ferdinand Porsche, the celebrated German engineer had been interned in France after the Second World War and on his release he settled in Gmund in Austria where he and his son Ferry and Karl Rabe planned the first Porsche sports cars.
These were light alloy roadsters and because they were relatively cheap demand was high.
However, shortage of materials and components led to a move to Stuttgart where the definitive 356 was born.
It immediately gained fame as a lightweight and nimble rear- engined, rearwheel- drive, two- door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Engineering innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity.
Its design was relatively simple, using a hotted-up VW flat-four engine and it was a pure masterstroke.
General production of the 356 continued until April 1965, well after the replacement model, the more modern 911 made its autumn 1963 debut. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half are still around which is an astonishing survival rate
The chassis was a completely new design as was the 356’s body which was designed by Porsche employee Erwin Komenda, while certain mechanical components including the engine case and some suspension components were based on and initially sourced from Volkswagen.
The first 356 was road certified in Austria on June 8, 1948, and was entered in a race in Innsbruck where it won its class.
Porsche re-engineered and refined the car with a focus on performance. Fewer and fewer parts were shared between Volkswagen and Porsche as the ‘ 50’s progressed.
I was lucky enough to be able to drive one in my early days as a motoring writer and it was unforgettable. This was the 1962 version which was powered by a 1582cc engine, four-cylinder and air cooled as always with 74bhp on tap. This was when Porsche was really getting a toehold on the UK sports car market and it was a revelation.
Although the car had run-up a fair mileage by 1968 when I drove it, it still felt almost new and gave no reason to doubt that its maximum speed of nearly 110mph was still attainable.
The UK had not seen anything quite like this on the open market and it soon wrote the opening chapter of what was to become the Porsche sporting legend.