Porsche 356 Marked The Beginning Of The Finest Automotive Era

Porsche is one of the highly praised manufacturers by car enthusiasts, as they make some of the best-performing cars in the market. If you are a Porche Lover you might know about some of the poster cars, the 911, Carrera GT, and the 918, these cars are some of the finest gems from the automobile industry to ever roam the planet.

But did you know where it all started, the Porsche 356 is the first production car from the house of Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH. It was a lightweight, nimble, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-door car, which was available in a coupe and open-top versions.

What are the Porsche 356 variants that came between 1954-1965?

The earlier development of the Porsche 356 can be traced back to 1948 when the first tubular chassis prototype the “No. 1” was created. The person behind the whole thing was Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche son of the founder Ferdinand Porsche Sr.

It was designed similarly to the Volkswagon Beetle, the Porsche 356 was an air-cooled, rear-engined car with a unitized pan and body. This resulted in the Porsche 356 Pre-Type A car, alongside there were few, updates to improve the usability of the car.

Porsche 356 A (1955-1959)

Later in 1955, the 356 was updated with numerous small, but significant changes, The manufacturer's designated name “Type 1”, lead to its nickname “T1” among enthusiasts. The early 1,200 production cars were badged by the name “Continental” and then a further 156 cars were called “European”.

In 1957 the convertible version was introduced called the 356 Porsche speedster, with a 1.6 Liter, 4 cylinder boxer engine that produced a peak output of 59 hp and 81 lb-ft of torque.

Porsche 3 B (1960-1963)

In late 1959 the successor to type A was introduced, with significant styling and technical changes in the form of 356 B. It was essentially a cabriolet body type with the optional steel hardtop available as an option.

There were changes on the body of the car such as two grills on the engine compartment cover, an external fuel filler on the right side of the front fender, and a larger window in the coupe model. A unique Karmann hardtop 356 model was also produced between 1961 and 1962.

Porsche 356 C (1964-1965)

This was the last generation of the 356 series, introduced in the model year 1964. It features disk brakes all around, which provide better and consistent breaking for an extended period. It also received an option where you can choose the most powerful pushrod engine produced by the manufacturer.

In 1964 the true successor of the 356 was also introduced in the form of the Porsche 911, however, due to the high demand Porsche continued to sell the 356 S in North America through 1965.

What was engine performance like?

The engine of the Porsche 356 was originally designed around the same engine case, they had originally made for the Volkswagon beetle. However, they added new cylinder heads, camshafts, crankshafts, intake and exhaust manifolds, and dual carburetors to make almost double the output of the Beetle.

The driving aspect of the vehicle is the place it actually shines, The steering is light and feels surprisingly accurate and it goes where you point it (Porsche got this part right from the beginning). However, from today’s standard, it is not powerful or overwhelming and it can get tricky, as you have to stand still to put this car back into first gear.

Does it carry any legacy?

The Porsche 356 has had great success in racing and rallying, whether kept close to stock or highly modified. Porsche’s 356 SL” Gmūnd-Coupe” debuted at the 1951 24 Hours Le Mans, winning the 751 to 1100 cc class and finishing 20th overall and this marked the beginning of the 356’s racing legacy.

Many 356s were stripped down and modified for better performance and handling. Including the 356 SL and 356 A Carrera GT. In the early 1960s, Porsche collaborated with Abarth to create the 356 B Carrera GTL Abarth coupē, which saw some success in motorsports.

How much is a Porsche 356 worth today?

It can be difficult to exactly quote the price of Porche 365, as it widely depends on the factors such as the year, model, condition, authenticity, and location of the car. For example, a 1964 Porche 356C coupe in excellent condition could be worth around $150,000 to $200,000 or maybe more, while a project car in poor condition might only worth a fraction of its price.

The most expensive 356, which belonged to Janis Joplin was sold for $1.76 million in 2015. Therefore it is best to consult with a professional appraiser while dealing with such cars.