Porsche 356 History
The Porsche 356, introduced in 1950, put this renowned German automaker on the sports-car map. But even though the 356 was the first Porsche sports car, it was far from the first sporting Porsche.
Ferry and Ferdinand Porsche with the Porsche 356/1 at Gmund.
Ferdinand
Porsche was born on September 3, 1875, in the Austrian village of
Maffersdor. Turning away from his father’s metalworking business, the
young and imaginative Ferdinand pursued a fascination with electricity,
and in the 1890s, even designed an electric car. His engineering acumen
was obvious, and extended to the design of aircraft engines. After
World War I, Porsche began to focus on the subject that would become
his life’s passion, a pursuit that began with the design of a small,
efficient open-two-seat sporting car, the 1.0-liter Sascha.
Porsche’s career path, however, drew him in the 1920s to the German
automaker Daimler, where he helped design powerful 6.0- and 7.0-liter
racing engines for expensive Mercedes-Benz classics such as the
fabulous SSK. His small-car dreams never died, though, and would find
an outlet with his design for an inexpensive air-cooled rear engine car
built in the 1930s at the behest of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. This
was the original Volkswagen, the people’s car. It was known almost from
the start by its nickname, the Beetle. World War II derailed the
project after but a handful were produced.
 Ferdinand Porsche aided in the construction of this early VW Beetle prototype. |
Porsche
and his design firm, which included his son, Ferry, turned their
attention to war production. They would emerge from the conflict
battered but intact. VW went on to thrive under its own ownership,
while Porsche and his son Ferry returned to that first love and created
a small sports car based on the VW Beetle design.
The
Porsches had already proved adept at building good sports cars from
ordinary components, but it would be left to Ferry to realize the first
production Porsche. As he related to CAR magazine’s Steve
Cropley in 1984: “During the war I had an opportunity to drive a
supercharged VW convertible with about 50 horsepower, which was a lot
of power then. I decided that if you could make a machine which was
lighter than that, and still had 50 horsepower, then it would be very
sporty indeed.”
Ferry and Karl Rabe, an associate from Ferdinand’s days at Daimler, again turned to a VW-based sports car in 1947. Ferdinand had been imprisoned by the French for a brief time after the war on charges relating to his design work for the Third Reich. By the time he rejoined his son and Rabe in August, they had the specifics firmly on paper. Ferry recalls his father being “very interested...of course. He took an interest in everything, but didn’t have the energy anymore...I had to assume the risk myself.”
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Porsche 356 Prototypes
When Ferry Porsche decided to build a light, supercharged car to rival the VWs he had driven, what ultimately emerged was Project 356. It was a smooth, aerodynamic open two-seater with an 85-inch-wheelbase tubular chassis, air-cooled VW engine, and dry weight of about 1300 pounds. The chassis was a sturdy affair, anchored by bulkheads in the cowl and behind the seats that turned inward at each end to connect by hefty transverse tubes.
The first Porsche prototype, known retrospectively as the 356/1.
“We
built that car only for experience,” Ferry recalled in 1984. “It was to see how
light we could go and how many VW parts we would need.” He and a bright young
engineer named Robert Eberan von Eberhorst first tested the running chassis in
March 1948 on a natural proving ground not 20 miles from Gmund: the daunting
32-percent grade of the Katshberg Pass. It easily passed every test, confirming
that the VW hardware could withstand the most demanding conditions.
Retrospectively known as 356/1, the first prototype Porsche received its aluminum roadster body, designed by longtime Porsche hand Erwin Komenda, in April 1948 and was completed a month later. Smooth and low, with a two-piece unframed windshield, it set the pattern for the future production 356 but had many unique touches.
For
example, there were no air grilles in back, and engine access was via a
long front-hinged lid instead of a small hatch. Behind the engine was
room enough for a spare wheel, six-volt battery, and a small amount of
luggage. Inside were a rudimentary semi-contoured seat and the only
instrument, a speedometer, though a clock was built into the glovebox
at the far right. Up front, the Porsche name was proudly spelled out in
letters not unlike those used today.
In
all, the 356/1 was attractive, sporty, obviously aerodynamic, and
different from anything else on the road. Only one problem surfaced on
a shakedown run from Gmund to Zell am See: A rear frame tube bent from
pounding the rugged pavement of Grossglockner Pass. With the 356/1
limping into the village, Ferry and his riding engineer fashioned a
two-piece metal sleeve to cover the weakened nub, a reinforcement later
applied to production 356s. A July showing at Berne in Switzerland
earned good reviews from the British and European press. That same
month, the 356/1 captured a 1,000-1,200-cc road race in Innsbruck,
Austria -- the first of many 356 victories to come.
The 356/1 helped define the shape of Porsches to come.
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The Porsche 356/2
Next for Porsche came the 356/2, which automotive historian Karl Ludvigsen determined "was developed in parallel with the space-frame roadster and not as a successor to it, as has often been maintained. Planned in both coupe and cabriolet models, [the 356/2s] differed sharply in design [with] new frame construction, body style and engine position." They were, in fact, the first production Porsches.
The Porsche 356/2 was developed alongside the 356/1, yet differed in design. |
And once they appeared, little was heard of the 356/1. Komenda moved closer to the definitive 356 look, while retaining aluminum construction for both body types. The engine now sat firmly behind the rear-wheel centerline, which produced even more oversteer that was only partly countered by reverting to normal mounting for the VW rear suspension.
But of course, these changes were not without rationale. "We felt the mid-mounted engine had little interest for the customer," Ferry explained later. He also believed that even a sports car should have good passenger and luggage space; a more "out of the way" engine provided it within the same overall package size. Besides, "our goal has always been to build cars for normal purposes, that can go on all kinds of roads and in all weathers" -- hence, the beetle-like fastback coupe.
Backed by encouraging good-faith orders from Swiss enthusiast-businessmen R. von Senger and Bernhard Blank, Porsche Konstruktionen GmbH planned to build 50 Type 356/2 chassis, of which 10 would have coupe bodies. Publicity brochures announced the coupe at $3,750, the cabrio at $4,250 -- stiff pricing for the time. Americans could buy two 1947 Chevys with that money, and VWs sold in Germany for about half as much.
But the issue of hefty price tags was very nearly moot, for Gmund couldn't turn out many cars very quickly. Only four 356/2s were built in 1948 -- all by hand -- then 25 the next year and 18 in 1950. By spring 1951, just 51 had been sold. But then, as Ferry Porsche later declared, "It seems almost a miracle to me that we managed to build [cars] in Gmund..." The coupe/cabriolet breakdown has been variously quoted as 45/5 and 42/8; the latter seems more likely, as six cabrios bodied by Beutler of Switzerland are known.
Most of these early Porsches were sold by the aforementioned Bernhard Blank, a successful Zurich dealer. A few had a bore of 73.5 mm, instead of 75 mm, to keep displacement below 1,100cc for class racing purposes. Historians doubt the published 7.0:1 compression ratio; 6.5:1 is more like it. But it's interesting that the Porsche was at least as economical as a VW, maybe more so.
Despite its piddling 40 horsepower, the 1,300-pound curb weight and slippery body allowed near 90 mph all out with economy (according to contemporary road tests) of no less than 27 mpg -- and usually closer to 35. (Testers commonly reported 30 mpg at a 70-mph cruise.) This unusual frugality would characterize later roadgoing Porsches capable of far higher speeds.
As noted, most 356/2 cabrios were bodied by Beutler in Thun, near Berne, using bare chassis shipped from Gmund. These were slightly longer than the coupes, undoubtedly the coachbuilder's doing. The last one was delivered in August 1949.
The Porsche 356/2 was a coupe/cabriolet alternative to the 356/1 roadster. |
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Porsche Takes Root
As months passed and word spread about the Porsche, a minor sales demand developed. Rabe had promised 150 units by the end of 1948, but conditions just wouldn’t allow it. Bodies, for instance, had to be hand-hammered over wooden forms. Engines varied slightly from car to car because everything was in such short supply. Still, the ledgers were being written in black, even if the numbers weren’t large.
 Workers constructing a 356/2 at the Porsche factory in Gmund. |
Seeking firmer footing for his company, Ferry Porsche concluded a multifaceted deal in September 1948 with VW’s Heinz Nordhoff, whom the British had installed to lead the rebuilding effort at VW’s Wolfsburg factory (which fell within the British zone of the new postwar West Germany). The Porsche organization agreed on a new license for the VW design, as well as on a consulting contract that reestablished the prewar Porsche/VW relationship. Additionally, Porsche became the import agency for Austria, gaining favored status on delivery of VW parts used in its own cars. Finally, Porsche enjoyed joint use of the worldwide VW sales organizations. All of this, Ferry noted, “was the basis for our fresh start.” The Marshall Plan and subsequent recovery of the German economy would do the rest.
Suddenly, the site of Porsche’s postwar headquarters, the Austrian village of Gmund, posed a thorny problem: It was too small, too remote, and completely removed from the car-building heart of industrial Germany. Porsche needed to return to Zuffenhausen, where the Porsche works were centered during the war. Trouble was, the Americans had been using the old Porsche premises for military motor pools. But when the GIs reluctantly agreed to leave in mid-1950, Porsche began preparing to close up at Gmund and move back home.
The decision was not made lightly. VW work was Porsche’s bread-and-butter then; sports cars were but a hobby by comparison. Conceivably, Porsche viewed returning to Zuffenhausen as a tax write-off against earnings from VW. But sports cars were more fun than people’s cars, and there was no question of designing tanks or any other new military hardware. The one fly in this ointment was a big one: Production start-up in Stuttgart would be far costlier than any likely amount of VW income could cover.
The cabin of the Porsche 356/2 was plain but functional.
The problem was solved when Alfred Prinzing, Ferry’s wily business manager, took a Porsche coupe on a tour of
“We signed a contract with Reutter to build bodies for the 500 cars we planned to start with,” Ferry Porsche recalled 29 years later. “Since Reutter had no experience with welding light alloy, we had to change to steel for the coupe. We had only perhaps $50,000 on hand to start production and never dreamed we would eventually reach...78,000 of the 356-model cars.”
Reutter Karosserie was right next door, which was a stroke of good fortune. Porsche had to rent 5000 square feet of the coachbuilder’s plant for chassis fabrication and final assembly because its own factory wasn’t immediately usable. A short time later, Porsche bought a nearby 1100-square-foot building for administrative offices and design space. The company soon changed its name again, to Dr. Ing.-h.c. F. Porsche KG (KG denoting the German term for limited partnership).
The Porsche 356/2 featured a 40-horsepower engine, up from the 365/1's 25.
In preparation for an ambitious tenfold production boost, Komenda revised the 356/2 coupe and cabriolet into the now-familiar shape of what was simply called the 356. The windshield remained divided but was enlarged; side-window area was reduced via a higher beltline; and vent wings were eliminated. An oil temperature gauge appeared inside, and the clock moved from the glovebox to beside the speedometer. A gas gauge was still lacking, though, as Porsche relied on VW’s reserve-tank system and its thoroughly un-modern measuring device, a wooden dipstick.
The engine was still the 40-horsepower (DIN European) Type 369 air-cooled flat-four but now with twin carburetors (Solex 32 PBI). Chassis changes followed those of the 1950 VW, which meant hydraulic shock absorbers (in steel towers) and hydraulic drum brakes. The latter proved inadequate in the Porsche and thus gave way by 1951 to twin-leading-shoe Lockheed front drums supplied by the German Alfred Teves company (Ate). At the same time, the previous lever-arm rear shocks were replaced with modern tubular units.
 The Porsche 356/2 outlined the distinctive Porsche shape that is still seen today. |
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The First Production Porsche 356
Porsche 356 completed its first Stuttgart car on Good Friday, 1950 and never looked back. Deliveries were underway by April, with the coupe priced at DM9950 (about $2,030). By midyear, sales were 33 a month, versus the eight or nine projected in the Reutter contract. By year’s end, sales totaled 298. Sadly, the great Dr. Ferdinand Porsche died in late January 1951, but he did live long enough to see the rapid progress of the cars and company that bore his name. By the time of his passing, the factory’s claimed output was 60 a month.
Ferry Porsche and associates pose with a Porsche 356 coupe and cabriolet.
Meantime, Porsches were gradually getting into the hands of non-German testers, who would presumably render the harshest verdicts. But the folks in Zuffenhausen needn’t have worried. Consider this excerpt from Britain’s weekly The Autocar in April 1951: “Even a short run serves to give the characteristic impression of a really well streamlined car. The acceleration above 50 mph is quite beyond what would be expected from the engine size, and is achieved in extraordinary quietness. About 60 mph is available in third gear...It is a rare car these days in which the designer has gone all out for certain qualities...and has accepted certain disadvantages instead of trying to achieve a well-balanced mediocrity...It is not a car for everyone’s taste, but it offers a unique combination of comfort, performance and economy, for which some people will pay a very good price.”
That same month at the Frankfurt Automobile Show, Porsche introduced the 356/1 and 356/3, its first 1,300-cc models. Their new engine -- precisely 1,286cc (78.5 cubic inches) on a bore and stroke of 80.0 × 64 mm (3.14 × 2.52 inches) -- was a bored-out Type 369 with aluminum instead of cast-iron cylinders, chrome plated on their working surfaces for greater durability. The 369’s compression may be disputed, but this Type 506 engine definitely ran 6.5:1. This plus the extra displacement, it was claimed, lifted horsepower to 44 (DIN European) at the same 4200 rpm. Reflecting Porsche’s traditional concern for craftsmanship, each engine was assembled by a single worker, a job that took 25 hours.
More modest compression made the 1,300 engine more amenable to Europe’s low-grade fuel than the 1100 version, yet performance actually improved slightly by about 2-3 mph, to 92 mph all out, according to factory records. Also announced at Frankfurt as across-the-board changes were improved defrosting, an optional tachometer, and the new VW-based suspension, tube shocks, and Lockheed-Ate brakes. In all, the 1300 was a step forward that helped it earn more good marks from the press.
The first production Porsche 356 looked not-too different from early prototypes.
A small part of 1951 revenue came from the United States, home of hard currency, the bigger-is-better philosophy, and many well-heeled buyers. Much of this sales activity was owed to Max Hoffman, the veritable godfather of postwar America’s import-car business, who in 1950 added Porsche to the select nameplates displayed at his Park Avenue showroom.
Hoffman was dubious at first, perhaps because some customers thought the 356 curious: small and “funny,” yet as costly as a Lincoln. But he had a weakness for Porsches, being Austrian-born and a great admirer of Ferry and his father. Hoffman had brought the VW to America, selling two in 1949 before giving up the franchise -- one of his greatest mistakes, he later admitted. But Hoffman did sell Porsches -- up to 10 a week by 1954. He later acknowledged that sales, and his own opinion of the cars, rose considerably in 1953 when Porsche dumped the VW-based “crashbox” for its own four-speed synchromesh transmission.
The Porsche 356's interior did advance significantly from its prototype beginnings.
This gearbox stemmed from a design patented in 1947 and conceived for the GP Cisitalia. Gear synchronization was its most unique feature, accomplished by intermediate servo rings instead of conventional cones. Each pinion had a servo ring revolving with it at equal speed; as a shift was made, the appropriate servo ring matched the clutch ring’s rate of rotation to that of the rear output shaft. The result was quicker shifts, owing to the shorter gear braking/acceleration time. The arrangement was also more compact. Synchromesh was eventually extended to all Porsches, and other carmakers were quick to copy the design of this superior system, including Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, even Daimler-Benz (beginning with the racing 300SLR of 1952).
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Porsche 356 1500
If the Porsche 1100/1300 could perform well while sipping tiny amounts of fuel, why not a 1500? Porsche began work on it in mid-1950 once 1,500cc became the upper displacement limit for several racing classes. Moreover, it seemed an ideal size for a small, light sports car like the Porsche 356.
 This unique Porsche 356 used the Porsche 1500 engine that powered later 356s. |
Since the 1100 had been bored to get 1,300cc, it was logical to lengthen stroke to achieve 1,500. The Hirth company of Stuttgart devised a connecting rod compact enough to allow a 10-mm increase (to 74), giving 1,488cc. Hirth also supplied a new crankshaft with roller bearings, which reduced friction but soon had Max Hoffman and others complaining about durability. Prolonged low-rpm running or delayed oil changes most always led to early crank failure. Avoiding it was as easy as reading the owner’s manual -- which, of course, not everyone did. Interestingly, the 1488-cc engine began the practice of “keeping the revs up” that many Porschephiles (especially 911 owners) happily perpetuate, even though it’s long been unnecessary.
Initially, the 1500 used the small twin carbs and developed 55 horsepower (DIN European) at 4,500 rpm. However, only 66 of these Type 502 engines were built before Porsche switched to a Type 547 derivative with Solex 40BPI instruments and 60 horsepower (the smaller carbs could be fitted if desired). The original Solex 32s reflected caution on Porsche’s part rather than engineering error. The company felt the gearbox might not be up to the extra power, but the new all-synchro transmission ended that concern.
A squad of 356s, 1100s, and 1500s, went to Monthlery, France’s huge banked oval track for some speed-record attempts in September 1951. All performed brilliantly. The 1100s set three new marks, averaging over 100 mph for 500 miles, 1,000 kilometers, and six hours. The 1500s, including a mildly modified car from Volkswagen dealer Walter Glockner, broke no fewer than 14 records. The factory car raised official averages to over 97 mph for 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 kilometers; 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 miles; and 24 and 48 hours. It also averaged 95.75 mph for 10,000 kilometers and 94.6 mph for 72 hours. The “Glockler,” a streamlined roadster, ran 500 and 1,000 kilometers and the six hours at 114-116 mph, breaking three more records. The 72-hour mark came despite a disabled top gear that forced drivers to run in third at 90 mph with the engine whirling at a busy 4,500 rpm. It was a tremendous performance that conclusively proved the 356’s mettle.
A modified Porsche 356 coupe after an impressive showing at Le Mans.
Balance of another kind impressed editor Dick von Osten of America’s Auto magazine during a test of a Porsche 356/1500: “The top-speed runs were made with two different drivers on a level, measured quarter-mile at sea level. I expected to clock slightly over 100 mph, [but I] reached that figure with no apparent effort and kept on going. [We] both managed to hit the maximum speed of 111.1 mph on both an east and west run. Five mph were probably added to the top speed by the perfect wheel balance, a typical detail of this car: all Porsches come from the factory with the wheels and tires in a perfect state of dynamic and static balance. Dr. Porsche once said that ...wheel balance can add or subtract 500 engine rpm at top speed.” (Incidentally von Osten’s reported maximum speed was 15 mph above the factory claim and indicative of the conservatism that marks official Porsche performance figures even today).
Despite the more-powerful engine, fuel economy was hardly affected. Von Osten covered 329 miles (75 in city traffic) on one tankful, including top speed, acceleration, and braking tests, plus a 70-75 mph highway run. All this required just 11 gallons of gas for an overall average of close to 33 mpg. With figures like these, you wonder if we’ve learned all that much in the last 45 years.
Significantly, von Osten was also taken with his test Porsche’s “unmistakable quality. From the gentle ‘click’ of the door to its smooth paint, from the handling ease to the engine’s performance, the Porsche reflects genius in design and pride in craftsmanship... Although it is not a low-priced car (approximately $4,284 for the coupe and $4,560 for the convertible), it is a car to which every owner can point with pride.”
Even in these early days, the 356 reflected the Porsches’ belief in the perfectibility of a given design -- provided it was good to begin with. By mid-1952 all 356s wore a one-piece windshield (albeit with a vertical central bend), perforated disc wheels, and deeper bodywork beneath the bumpers. A large 6,000-rpm tachometer replaced the clock, and both it and the speedo were newly hooded for better legibility.
A modified 356 coupe set distance and speed records in Montlhery, France.
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Porsche 356 1300S, Porsche 1500S, and Porsche America
The ultimate developments of the original Porsche 356 models were the 1300S and 1500S -- “S” for Super. The latter came first, in October 1952. Its new Type 528 powerplant had the same displacement as the 502/507 but ran 8.2:1 compression, good for a rated 70 DIN horsepower European and 80 pounds/feet of torque at 3600 rpm. That torque peak hinted at Porsche’s intentions -- production-class racing -- and the Super was inevitably less powerful below 3,500 rpm than the normal 1500.
 The Porsche 356 America was a slick open-top racer conceived by Max Hoffman. |
Both the 1500S and 1300S (announced in November ’53; same CR, 60 horsepower) benefited from a revised camshaft designed by future Porsche chairman Ernst Fuhrmann, a Gmund engineer who’d been involved with the GP Cisitalia. The factory assigned the 1300S an official top speed of 100 mph, the 1500S 105 mph. But again, the evidence is that these were conservative claims.
Perhaps the most important of the early 1500 Supers was the America, a rakish roadster with aluminum bodywork by Glaser, marked by an ultra-low beltline. Though almost unknown in Europe, it was hardly familiar in the United States either, thanks to a lofty $4,600 price.
Like many of the more-interesting Fifties imports, the America sprang from the fertile mind of Max Hoffman, who wanted a lighter open Porsche without the heavy top and side windows of the standard cabrio. Of course, he had racing in mind, and so the America was designed with weight-saving touches that prevented overall weight from exceeding 1,600 pounds. These features included light aluminum-frame seats, Plexiglas side curtains, thin snap-on canvas roof, no glovebox door, and a divided windshield that could be replaced by a racing windscreen. With all this, the America was even more exciting than the regular 1500S. Auto Age magazine’s test showed a 110-mph top speed, 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds, and the standing quarter-mile in 17.9 seconds.
 The interior of the Porsche America was stylish and refined in true Porsche style. |
Regrettably, not many Americas were built, largely because of how they were built. Reutter sent rolling chassis to Glaser in Ullersricht, north of Munich, where artisans hand-hammered the aluminum bodywork and welded it to the chassis. The semi-finished cars were then trucked back to Zuffenhausen for final assembly.
Only four were sold in the United States in all of 1952, and production ended the following year. One Porsche expert puts the total built at 20, another at 50. Regardless, the America remains a rare and highly collectible Porsche. A seemingly limited market and high production costs (aggravated by transportation expense) condemned it to an early grave, though it would not be forgotten.
A literal symbol of Porsche’s progress marked the 1953 models: the now-famous Porsche crest. This, too, was prompted by Max Hoffman, who thought all cars should wear emblems. He suggested it while lunching in New York one day with Ferry, who quickly sketched out a bit of heraldry on a napkin. As finalized by freelance graphic designer Eric Strenger (who at the same time developed the Porsche logotype still used today), it bore the Stuttgart coat of arms: a rampant black horse on a yellow shield representing an old part of the city (Stuotgarten) where a stud farm had once been; surrounding this were the colors and six staghorns from the crest of the state of Baden-Wurttemburg.
Other Porsche changes for 1953 were more obvious. Parking lamps moved inboard to beneath the headlamps, taillamps became circular pairs on each side instead of circle/oblong duos, and a separate trip odometer joined the total mileage recorder. Engines stayed essentially the same.
The 1500 Super gave up its Hirth crank for one of forged steel, as Rabe was able to shorten the original rod design by making a diagonal cut across the big end, thus leaving adequate clearance for the longer stroke. The 1500 Normal had 6.5:1 compression and only 55 horsepower at 4,400 rpm, but the factory claimed that good for 96 mph all out. It was an ideal foil for the 1500S as it was more tractable at lower speeds and thus better for everyday driving. All these engines (except the 1100, which vanished after 1954) were available in coupe or Cabriolet, and would run through 1955.
Only the 1500s came to the United States in ’53, where the Normal was called America and attractively priced at $3,445 for the coupe and $3,695 for the cabrio -- the most affordable Porsches yet. (The upmarket Supers listed at $4,284 and $4,584.) Maxie had struck again, but he wasn’t offering an entirely free lunch, for he had Porsche delete the reclining seatbacks, wheel trims, the fold-down provision for the vestigial back seat, the radio, passenger-side sunvisor, and the tachometer, all standard on European 1500s.
This Porsche America featured the new 1500 cc engine, making it an ideal racer.
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1954 Porsche Speedster
Porsche’s big event of 1954 arrived in September: the charming, sporty Speedster. It was still another bit of marketing magic from Max Hoffman, who, despite his experience with the ‘52 America, didn’t think U.S. demand for roadsters was quite so limited -- and that an inexpensive model should be a permanent part of the Porsche line.
The Porsche Speedster was another rakish Porsche inspired by Max Hoffman.
The cockpit was as Spartan as a Triumph TR2’s. Seats were simple buckets with fixed backrests. Instrumentation was limited to speedo, tach, and temperature gauge; technically, the tach and heater were extras, but it was hard to find a car without them, so they were effectively “mandatory options” that pushed the typical delivered price over $3,000. But Hoffman realized his target base price of $2,995 POE (Port of Entry) New York.
Exterior appearance was standard Porsche from the waist down save the aesthetically pleasing, nearly full-length bodyside chrome strips that ran neatly through the door handles. Still, the Speedster was invariably likened to an inverted bathtub, and it looked a bit bizarre buttoned up.
 The Porsche Speedster featured the strongest engine Porsche had, the 1500. |
Not surprisingly, the 1500 Normal engine was standard for the Speedster, but the Super spec was available for about $500 more. Speedsters weren’t immediately sold in Europe but were well received in the United States. After an exploratory 200-unit run for 1954, the factory increased output. By the time the last one was delivered in 1958, the total exceeded 4,900.
Visually, the 1954 and ’55 Speedsters were quite similar, the differences confined mainly to gauges, bonnet handle, and emblems. Like all 356s since the first, they rolled on 16-inch-diameter wheels and tires.
The Speedster seemed born to race and was certainly quick enough for it. The base model weighed nearly 200 pounds less than a 1500N coupe and was thus about a second faster in the 0-60 mph sprint, though superior aerodynamics let the coupe pull away after about 80 mph. The 1500S version was commensurately faster but could not catch its coupe counterpart at the top end. Comparing Super and Normal Speedsters, respective 0-60 mph times were 10 and 14 seconds; figures for the standing quarter-mile were 17.5 seconds at 100 mph versus 19 seconds at 95 mph.
Of course, being Porsches, the Speedsters did race, and with distinction. John von Neumann, Porsche’s West-Coast counterpart to Max Hoffman, started running them in SCCA events in November 1954, when his 1500S finished eighth overall in a six-hour enduro at Torrey Pines, near San Diego, and won its class the following day. In 1955, Bengt Sonderstrom drove one to win the national SCCA F-Production championship.
Walt Woron waxed enthusiastic after testing a Speedster for the July 1955 issue of Motor Trend: “Its size, power, easy shift and steering make it fun to drive...The brakes are extremely good...they get you out of situations where you may have delayed too long...For a sports car, and especially such a small one, the Porsche Speedster has a very smooth ride...There’s absolutely no wallowing when it comes out of a dip...”
Like most drivers, Woron felt slightly claustrophobic in the Speedster. “With the top up...you have to jackknife in; the top is extremely low [overall height was a mere 48 inches] and if you’re over six feet, your head is going to touch. It doesn’t leave much room between the top and doors for seeing out; and with the side curtains on, you may as well be content with just looking forward.”
Though rudimentary next to the cabrio roof, the Speedster top was high-tech next to the Erector-set affairs of British contemporaries. “Putting up the soft top is absurdly easy,” said Woron. “You reach behind you, grab the top’s forward bow, pull forward so that it reaches the windshield and snap the two locks in place.” He also noted that Reutter had managed to sneak a little padding between the top’s inner and outer layers, an advance unknown in darkest Coventry.
Summing up the Speedster’s appeal, Woron rhetorically asked, “Where else are you going to get a sports car that has the performance, the ride and the workmanship of this one? Sure, it lacks certain features like roll-up windows, but if...you drive for the fun of driving, you’ll love this one.”
 This 356A Speedster shows the evolution of this classic Porsche body type. |
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1955 Porsche 356/2
Soon after the Speedster’s debut, Porsche introduced a wholesale engine revamp for 1955. Though the 1100 was dropped, the four remaining units became “/2” types (for example, 546/2 and 528/2 for the 1500 Normal and Super). Among the changes: improved valvegear, strengthened castings, virtually square cylinder dimensions on 1300s (74.5 × 74.0 mm), and three-piece, 4.5-liter aluminum sumps (replacing two-piece, 3.5-liter magnesium types).
 This Porsche 356 wears the "Continental" script accorded all U.S. 356s in 1955. |
The “/2” engines put further distance between Porsche and VW engineering, being designed for easier servicing and quicker camshaft swapping under race conditions. Though fewer parts interchanged with VW’s, that was okay with Ferry Porsche. His cars were rapidly becoming more specialized and thus increasingly removed from their humble origins, marking his firm’s emergence as a manufacturer in its own right and, no less important, reducing its reliance on VW components. Porsche didn’t make much of these changes (indeed, they’re listed mainly in factory documents), but they reflected the continual quest for perfection that remains a fact of life at Zuffenhausen.
There was one other change for ’55. Again at Hoffman’s behest, U.S. models were called Continental that year -- and that year only, because Lincoln owned the name and was about to bring out its new Continental Mark II.
The Autocar captured much of the early Porsche essence in its November 1953 test of a 1500: “By virtue of its very low build and fine aerodynamic lines it attracts immediate attention and interest from young and old. It is so obviously a car designed by [those] who knew what they wanted and were able to carry out their ideas. Its very-appearance suggests speed, and as soon as one is seated...any desire to loiter is quickly [forgotten]. The Porsche [holds the road] in no uncertain manner, the soft torsion-bar springing allowing it to hurry round main road corners without roll, while the rather direct steering gives the driver exact control over the front wheels.”
American-bound Porsche 356s were fitted with 1500cc engines standard.
As the final ’55s came off the line, Porsche could look back on a successful quarter- century. The company had certainly come far since the great Ferdinand opened the doors on Kronenstrasse in 1930. Calendar-year production was a satisfying 2,952 units. Even more important, Porsche was back in its original premises, restored by the West German government on December 1. But though few would have believed it, even greater things lay ahead.
 The 356 design would live on in the Speedster, shown here in hard and soft top. |
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1955 Porsche 356A
Great things for Porsche began with 1956 models that looked little different at first glance but actually represented a thorough update. Per established Porsche custom, the new 356A bowed at the Frankfurt Show, in September 1955, entering production a few weeks later.
 The evolutionary Porsche 356A featured a one-piece windshield. |
Coupe, cabrio, and Speedster body styles continued (again supplied exclusively by Reutter), but styling was subtly altered. Most obvious were slim rocker rub rails and a one-piece curved windshield without a vertical crease. The Speedster’s windshield and top-frame bows rose about 2 1/2 inches to improve headroom (a running change actually made in mid-1955). Less noticeable, but a key chassis improvement, was a switch from 16- to 15-inch-diameter wheels with a new “super-wide” 4.5-inch breadth. Tires were correspondingly fatter: 5.60 × 15s versus 5.00 × 16s.
Inside, the all-metal center-bulge dash of yore gave way to a new flat-face panel with padded top and, Speedsters excepted, a radio mounting slot. Ahead of and readily visible through the steering wheel were a large central tachometer flanked by an equal-size speedometer on the left and a combination fuel level/oil temperature gauge on the right. Headlight flashers were standard, again Speedsters excepted, and handbrakes were more conveniently located. Entry/exit and front legroom improved via a 1 1/2-inch lower floor, and the ignition switch gained a starter detent. Car for car, more thorough sound insulation in strategic places made A-models quieter than 356s.
The A also sported major revisions to the now-familiar 356 chassis that stemmed from a prototype (nicknamed “Ferdinand” after the elder Dr. Porsche) used for testing since 1954. Suspension was modified for more travel, and a softer ride was achieved by removing leaves from the laminated front torsion bars and by making the rear bars both longer (from 21.8 to 24.7 inches) and thinner (by 1 mm, to 24). These changes and the chunkier rolling stock were found to improve roadholding.
Shock absorbers were suitably stiffened and repositioned, the rears mounted vertically instead of angled. Up front, suspension mounts were beefed up and a stiffer, thicker anti-roll bar appeared. Outer suspension-arm bearings changed to the needle-roller type. Steering geometry was altered and a small hydraulic damper was added to absorb road shock and reduce kickback through the wheel. While the chassis tuning definitely aided ride, roadability was unaffected, so a 356A feels considerably more modern than a 356.
Suspension and tire changes helped the Porsche 356A to improved handling.
Inevitably, Porsche also improved its flat-four engines, which now numbered five: 1300 Normal and Super, a new 1600N and 1600S, and the 1500GS. Only the last three came to America. All were available in the three body styles save a non-existent 1300N Speedster. They remained air-cooled, of course, and all but the 1500GS retained overhead valves actuated by pushrods and rocker arms. The GS was nothing less than a detuned version of the twincam 550 Spyder unit from Porsche’s 1954 sports-racing model -- the heart of the soon-to-be-legendary Carreras that were sufficiently different to warrant separate coverage in another article.
The brace of 1.6-liters was prompted by a new 1,600-cc competition limit. The engines were created by simply fitting larger cylinder barrels that widened bore on the existing 1500 block by 2.5 mm, giving bore/stroke of 82.5 × 74 mm and precisely 1,582cc. Higher compression yielded 60 DIN horsepower European (70 SAE) at 4,500 rpm for the Type 616/1 Normal engine; the 616/2 Super delivered 76 horsepower (DIN) at 5,000 rpm (88 horsepower SAE). With their extra cc’s, both mustered more low-end torque for even better tractability at low and midrange speeds. Incidentally, transaxles received longer-lasting mounts, and the clutch was redesigned.
Motor-noters generally judged the 1600 better behaved than previous Porsches. It responded, said Britain’s Autocar, “more like an orthodox high-performance sports car, although a certain skittishness at the rear, partly attributable to the the swing-axle rear suspension, can still be felt...Stability remains very good indeed, and the design as a whole gives a liveliness to the controls of which the skilled driver can take advantage.”
 Nicely grouped new gauges enhanced the Porsche 356A's driving experience. |
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1957 and 1958 Porsche 356A
Porsche’s workforce continued to grow, but so did output per worker. Yet there was no compromise in the by-now-famous Porsche workmanship. The Germans’ painstaking attention to detail must have been as mind-boggling to the British as it was to Americans, perhaps more so. For example, all steering mechanisms were run-in “on the bench,” lock-to-lock, for the equivalent of 5,000 kilometers. Trim, upholstery, and paint were a noticeable cut above the norm even for Porsche’s price class.
 The Porsche 356A got detail changes during 1957 and bigger alterations for '58. |
Evolution was again the watchword on the ’58 models, designated T-2. Vent wings appeared in cabriolet doors, and coupes could sprout extra-cost windwings on the outside of their window frames. Larger
rear windows improved top-up vision in Speedster and cabriolet, and
both open models were offered from late ’57 with a lift-off fiberglass
top as a factory option (made by Brendel in Germany for Europe,
Glass-par in California for America).
Exhaust tips on all models now poked through the lower part of the vertical rear bumper guards, and a double-bow front bumper overrider replaced the former single-bow design. Though controversial, that Cadillac-style exhaust routing was practical in that it better protected the tips and raised exhaust-system ground clearance.
On the mechanical front, the 1300 engines were dropped, the 1600s reverted to plain bearings, and cast-iron cylinders returned on the 1600 Normal to reduce both cost and noise for what was basically a touring Porsche. Carburetors were now Zenith NDIX devices. A Hausserman diaphragm clutch replaced the coil-spring Fitchel & Sachs unit, and the shift linkage was reworked for shorter throws. The old worm-and-peg VW steering gave way to a Ross-type mechanism by ZF and, from late ’58, progressively wound single valve springs replaced dual springs in all pushrod engines.
Along the way, Porsche also instituted better door locks, a one-piece aluminum transaxle (ousting cast magnesium), redesigned oil coolers and, for the 1600N, offset-wristpin pistons (to eliminate cold-engine piston slap) and fiber camshaft gears. Later came racing-homologated gear ratios and a 5.17:1 final drive. Convenience and appearance were served by repositioned heater controls, new outside door handles and inside window winders, revised rear package shelf, optional gasoline heater, slim-back bucket seats, larger-diameter steering wheel, and new hubcaps bearing the Porsche crest.
This 356A Speedster shows the bumper, exhaust, and taillamp changes for 1958.
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1959 Porsche Speedster
A change in sales tactics was evident in August 1958, when Porsche got a head start on model year ’59 by replacing the Speedster with the Speedster D, retitled Convertible D shortly before its public debut. The “D” denoted Drauz of Heilbronn (about 20 miles from Stuttgart), which built the bodies.
Still a two-seater but priced $500 higher, the Convertible D had a taller chrome-framed windshield and a top somewhere between the original Speedster’s low, simple design and the cabrio’s deluxe padded top. Also featured were roll-up windows (no more side curtains) and reclining front seats, as on other models. Retained was the unique Speedster dash with no glovebox (kick-panel map pockets substituted) and a hood over the instruments. The Speedster’s bodyside chrome strips were also retained, giving the D some of its visual character, but the taller top was far more practical.
The Porsche Speedster D featured a tall windshield and sturdy soft top.
Apparently noting that narrow price spread, Motor Trend conducted an odd comparison test between the Convertible D and a fuel-injected example of
R&T seemed amazed at “how a company can continue to improve a car so much over a period of years with only detail refinements.” This was simply Porsche’s way, of course, but planning for the 356’s successor had already begun -- back in 1956, in fact, just as the first As were reaching customers.
 Teardrop tail lights replaced circular units on Porsches after 1957. |
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