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The Porsche 356 Timeline

The Porsche 356 was a sports car buffs dream.instant success with more than 4000 sold in
The 356 was the brain child of Ferdinandjust  5  years.1955:
"Ferry" Porsche. The body style was the work
of Erwin Komenda and the mechanical came offThe 1600 motor makes it to production. The
the VW Beetle the design of Ferdinand Porsche1500 GS Carrera motor which is being
Sr.When it first hit the market it wasdeveloped for the race track suddenly finds
available as a roadster, cabriolet, and coupeits way into the 356 line. The A line is
and over the years it saw many changes bothintroduced which has several small changes to
in power and style. You might be surprisedthe  body  style.1956:
to discover that the 356 Porsche was actually
Porsche's first production automobile and oneThe 10,000th 356 comes off the assembly line
has to admit it was a great pick!Thisand  it  is  celebrated  at the factory.1957:
timeline is a bit rough around the edges but
it will give you and idea of how the 356More improvements saw the T2 prototype with
evolved  from  start  to  finish.1948:the new transmission. The 644 replaced the
519 with a much better shifter, dual nose
Just after the war Porsche located tomounts,  and  much  better  synchros.1958:
Austria so that they could be closer to parts
suppliers. Ferry Porsche was the designer ofThe Carrera engine continued to see
the 356. He was the son of Dr Ing Ferdinandimprovements that produced higher horsepower.
Porsche who was the founder of Porsche. TheThe Convertible came to market replacing the
original car used a tubular chassis with anSpeedster and it was much taller and
1100cc engine so it was both light and quick.luxurious  than  its  predecessor.1959:
The gearbox was designed by Frolich and
Komenda designed the body of the 356.TheThe last Speedster is released and the 1300
original 001 raced at the Innsbruck city raceengine  is  also  dropped.1960:
and it won in the 1100cc class on its very
first run. Not surprising! The original 001The 356B is given the Super 90 motor. The
sits  in  the  Factory  Museum.1949:90 has a counterweighted crank, Solex P40-II
Carburetor,  and  sodium  filled valves.1961:
The first 356 Cabriolet is built with alloy
aluminum.1950:The hardtop is introduced and is instantly a
hit and is fondly nicknamed the "Notchback".
The factory moves to Zuffenhausen and beginsOver 1700 of these cars sold in less than two
producing the 356 where they will stay untilyears.1962:
1965  producing  around  80,000  cars.1951:
Porsche is talking with Reutter about the
Innovation continues to impress the worldpurchase of the coach maker. The factory
with the 356 Cabriolet and the new splitlaunches Christophorus which is a Porsche
windshield. The 1.3 liter was chrome platedlifestyle  magazine.1963:
with aluminum cylinders and the very first
synchromesh transmission came to be. The356C is brought to market with the 95 HP SC
356-002 wins hands down at the LeMans in theengine. It has 4 wheel disc brakes, and it
1100cc class.At the age of 75 Dr. Ingis available with an optional 12 volt
Ferdinand Porsche Sr. died at the age of 75.electric  system.1964:
By this time 1400 people worked under the
direction  of  Ferry  Porsche.1952:The 356 production has moved over the 10,000
a  year  number.1965:
The 1488 cc 70 HP super engine is
introduced.1953:The final Cabriolets come off the assembly
line.After several evolutions the 356 came to
A deal is made with New York's Max Hoffmanbe retired in 1965 but today the car still
which allowed for the introduction of the 356remains sought after and it is common to find
in the United States. It wasn't long beforethem selling for over $175,000. Back in the
Hoffman became the US importer for Porsche1950s you could buy that car new for
making arrangements for the Porsche line to$4000.The 356 also made it big in the movies
be carried around the country. This was alsostaring in Top Gun, 48 Hrs and Another 48
the era where split windshields became bentHrs. And Janis Joplin has a psychedelically
windshields.1954:painted 356C. The 356 underwent many changes
over the years some mechanical while others
Hoffman convinces Porsche that they can gaincosmetic but what remained consistent was its
more market share by producing a strippedcharm, style, sportiness, and speed. Still
down version of the 356 for less moneytoday this is a car that gets noticed.Wayne
specifically designed for the west coasthas been owned and ridden Porsches for 15
where fair weather and amateur racing go handyears. Visit his Porsche site at to learn
in hand. And so the Speedster is born and anmore about Porsche 944.



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