Porsche 356 A
Many significant improvements were incorporated in the Porsche 356 A in late 1955 and continued in subsequent models. The chassis was changed, which made the cars easier to work on, the dash was modified to the three-instrument cluster that continued throughout 356 production, and the windshield was changed from the “bent windshield to a curved one. This new generation was introduced with the internal factory designation “Type 1” (also known as the “T1”) and initially offered three body styles: Coupe, Cabriolet, and Speedster (later replaced by the Convertible D). The suspension was improved a great deal, making the 356A and later models handle and ride much better than the pre-As. Engine displacement options included both 1300 and 1600 cc motors, both of which were also offered as more powerful “S” variants. There was also a high-performance variant denoted as the 356 A Carrera, getting the special race-derived 1500 cc four-cam engine developed for the Porsche 550 Spyder. In early 1957 a second revision of the 356 A was introduced, known as Type 2 (or T2) 356 A, which featured minor cosmetic changes, including a new dashboard and teardrop taillights. See our Porsche 356 Research Hub
