Porsche 356 Coupe - 1948
The Porsche 356 of 1948 was not the very beginning of the story. But it serves as a good starting point.
Up in the Austrian mountains, in Gmünd, the Porsches began building their small sportscar, based around the mechanical layout of the VW Beetle (of which they had been a part). The 356 was similarly small, but lighter. The 356 shows a common link to other light post-war sportscars in that it appears very 'spare' - because it is. There was very little ornamentation.
Speed was achieved, despite the model 1,100 cc boxer engine producing a mere 39.5 PS and 70 Nm, through a low frontal area, and very clean aerodynamics. Sporting handling was achieved by low weight (770 kg), and a low centre of mass.
A combination of these characteristics, mixed with the reliability that comes with engineers with solid experience in delivering quality, blessed the 356 with a competitive racing pedigree, and a growing reputation, in Europe and in the US.
The 356 would continue to evolve with larger, more powerful engines, greater performance, along with fewer donor VW parts, until the iconic 911 in 1963, continuing for another two years until directly replaced by the 4-cylinder 912.
Porsche 356 Coupe - 1948
The Porsche 356 of 1948 was not the very beginning of the story. But it serves as a good starting point.
Up in the Austrian mountains, in Gmünd, the Porsches began building their small sportscar, based around the mechanical layout of the VW Beetle (of which they had been a part). The 356 was similarly small, but lighter. The 356 shows a common link to other light post-war sportscars in that it appears very 'spare' - because it is. There was very little ornamentation.
Speed was achieved, despite the model 1,100 cc boxer engine producing a mere 39.5 PS and 70 Nm, through a low frontal area, and very clean aerodynamics. Sporting handling was achieved by low weight (770 kg), and a low centre of mass.
A combination of these characteristics, mixed with the reliability that comes with engineers with solid experience in delivering quality, blessed the 356 with a competitive racing pedigree, and a growing reputation, in Europe and in the US.
The 356 would continue to evolve with larger, more powerful engines, greater performance, along with fewer donor VW parts, until the iconic 911 in 1963, continuing for another two years until directly replaced by the 4-cylinder 912.