The America Roadster emerged from the crucible of American racing, guided by influential figures like Max Hoffman and John von Neumann, both firm believers that race results translated directly into showroom demand. In early 1952, Hoffman pushed Porsche to build a weekend racer derived from the 356—something lighter, cheaper, and...
The Porsche 356 SL Gmünd coupe is an automotive royalty, one of the very first Porsches ever raced. Restored by Rod Emory, this rare car was built in Austria before the company relocated to Stuttgart, Germany. This particular car,number 46, made history at Le Mans, competing in the 1100cc class...
Drawing heavily from the Gläser-built 356 America of 1953—and even keeping the Type 540 designation—the now-legendary, Reutter-built Speedster arrived in 1954. Its creation was largely driven by Porsche’s U.S. importer, Max Hoffman, who clearly understood American buyers and persuaded the factory to produce models tailored specifically to that market. Built...
Originally conceived as a sporting offshoot of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche’s Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle, the Porsche 356 marked the brand’s first series-production car. The most common configuration was the 2+2 coupé, later joined by a cabriolet and the open-top Speedster roadster. A major update arrived in 1956 with the 356A,...
The Porsche 356 No.1 is not just a museum piece—it is a functioning, road-certified prototype and the origin point of Porsche as a car manufacturer. It is the first Porsche sports car ever registered for road use, dated June 8, 1948—the official birth of Porsche as a car manufacturer rather...
The Porsche 356 B Carrera GS/GT “Dreikantschaber” is one of the is one of the rarest competition cars developed by Porsche’s racing department. Its low profile stems partly from the fact that only two examples were built, and partly because it was conceived as a temporary solution rather than a...
Conceived as Porsche’s first series-production car, the 356 achieved immediate acclaim when it debuted in 1948, finding success both on the road and in competition. Light, compact, and agile, it embodied Ferry Porsche’s guiding philosophy: a small car with sufficient power is more rewarding to drive—and far more enjoyable—than a...
The Porsche 356B represents the core of Porsche’s early philosophy: light weight, mechanical simplicity, and driver engagement over outright power. The example reviewed here is the base model, identified by the badge on the rear decklid, positioned below the 356B S and the range-topping Super 90. While the Super 90...
By 1964, the 356 was nearing the end of its production run, overlapping briefly with the car that would replace it—the model originally known as the 901, later renamed the 911. As the last and most refined version of the 356, the SC retained the familiar four-speed manual gearbox but...
Under the leadership of Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferry Porsche, the 356 was envisioned as a lightweight, nimble two-seat sports car. It featured independent suspension at all four corners and a rear-mounted, air-cooled four-cylinder engine. Erwin Komenda penned the now-iconic body shape, which was initially hand-formed in lightweight aluminum before later...
