A Brief History of the Porsche 356
After the Second World War there were many, many more automakers than there are today. From Abarth to Zundapp, the automotive marketplace was a crowded and often bizarre place. Each segment offered a wide range of vehicles, with a range of shapes and build quality that would baffle a modern buyer.
In 1947 Ferry Porsche, Karl Rabe, and Erwin Komenda began the design of a sports car to be built around Volkswagen components. The project was officially named the Type 356. In his design, Ferry Porsche used Volkswagen steering and braking systems, suspensions, transmissions and engines with slight modifications.
Komenda and Ferry designed the first body, which was mounted over a tubular spaceframe. The aerodynamic lines of the open two-seater were based almost entirely on the Berlin-Rome racecars. The first 356 roadster body was hand-formed by Friedrich Weber, a brilliant metal craftsman who had joined Porsche in April 1948.
The Porsche Gmünd 356
The first car to bear the Porsche 356 name was road-certified on June 8, 1948. It was a Porsche 356/1 Roadster produced in Gmünd, Carinthia, Austria. The “Gmünd Roadster” was powered by a 1.1-liter air-cooled flat-four engine from Volkswagen. The engine’s power was increased to 35 hp for the 356. The roadster weighed just 585 kilograms and reached speeds of up to 135 km/h (83 mph) The first 52 Porsche can be distinguished from later 356s by their aluminum construction.
These early Gmünd-built cars are the lightest of the 356 family, tipping the scales at around 1,400lbs. An aluminum-bodied Gmünd car which still exists was the Porsche’s first works entry at Le Mans, and a class winner in 1951.
1948 – 1951 Porsche 356/2 Gmünd Coupé
With lessons learned from 356 No. 1, Porsche developed the 356/2 as a production-ready version. The biggest concession to useability was repositioning the engine back behind the rear wheels as the original VW design. Like 356 No. 1, 356/2 was built as two-seat roadster using VW parts.
The steering, brakes, suspension, transmission, clutch and headlights were all sourced from Volkswagen. The 25 bhp engine was bored, fitted with larger valves and fitted with a higher-compression cylinder head to produce 35-40 bhp. Later into production Porsche sourced hydraulic brakes from Lockheed for the front brakes.
Unlike the tubular steel frame of the prototype, 356/2 was designed as a unitary steel tub which featured deep load-bearing sills, suspension pickup-points and mounts for the engine.
Due to the repositioned engine, the 356/2 was shorter than the prototype. The Erwin Komenda body was similar to the prototype, but had much longer rear overhang. Both a Coupé and Cabriolet were initially drawn up and went into production. Details such split windows, integrated bumpers, curved quarter windows and two small accent strips between the front indicators were typical of the Gmünd cars.
The first cars were funded by Swiss businessman and Rupprecht von Senger who paid for the first 50 cars and he bought the first Roadster to be launched at the the Swiss Grand Prix of 1948. With production shifting toward Stuttgart, the cabriolet bodies were all outsourced: six chassis were sent to Beutler by Bernard Blank for cabriolet bodywork. Later bodies were produced by Karosseriefabrik Ferdinand Keibl and Tatra in Vienna who produced only two additional cabriolets and several of the last coupes.
In 1949 Porsche completed a new cylinder head for the 356 based off the Strumboot design for the light attack boats. These allowed for 38mm valves over the 38mm VW counterparts and increased power to 40 bhp. With a slight increase in bore, this setup offered the same power, only 200 rpm sooner.
Porsche oversaw chassis development of the 356 while their fabricators worked hard at making coupe bodies. When the aluminum bodies were found to be too time consuming the production was outsourced.
Deliveries of the 356 began in 1949. That year two cars were shown at the Geneva Auto Show in March. The Motor responded by calling it “One of the smartest little cars of the show” and described it as having “the lowest floor and seating position we have seen in any non racing machine.” With its relatively high cost compared to a VW, the Porsche was selling based on the merits of Ferdinand and the higher costs for British and Italian sports cars.
Most of the first cars were sold in Austria and Switzerland. 15 cars later went to Sweden as part of a deal with Scania-Vabis which took their final car in 1951. Total production of Gmünd cars was 49 cars, eight being cabriolets. Production resumed in Stuttgart with steel-bodied cars in 1950.
Porsche 356 Pre-A
After leaving Gmünd in 1949, Porsche production relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and entered a partnership with Karosserie Reutter to produce steel-bodied 356s. The earliest steel-bodied cars can be differentiated from later models by their windshields. All pre-A 356s have a peak at the roof’s leading edge, and either a two-piece “split” windshield, or a single piece windshield with a well defined bend at its center line.
Around the time production transitioned from the split-window cars to bent-window models, Porsche made one of their largest steps to date away from VW-mechanicals. In 1952 Porsche abandoned the VW gearbox in favor of an in-house, all-syncro design. The engine, though still VW-based, had a unique offset crank and Porsche-specific heads. In 1951 power outputs jumped from 40 horsepower to 60, and displacement rose from 1100cc to as much as 1500cc.
These early 356s are now some of the most collectible Porsches in history, as they represent the company’s first production car and it’s first motorsport successes.
Restored 1954 Porsche 356 1500 Pre-A
This original number matching example was sold new in Los Angeles, California where it remained under single ownership from 1954 to 1999. In 2005 Coachwerks Restoration preformed a concours level restoration which saw the vehicle changed back to its original colours of silver metallic on green leather interior. Since the restoration the vehicle has received routine maintenance to ensure the vehicle is in good driving condition. The car comes with the original owner’s manual and tool set, Porsche Kardex documentation and fitted luggage by Tarys Charison. This is the ultimate 356 Pre-A example on the market and has the documentation and restoration quality to back it up.
