356 history

                With money from previous projects banked, additional help from friends and family, a talented son, along with a great amount of will, Porsche decided to begin production of their own proprietary automobile.

                As Porsches first production model, the 356 broke a lot of ground.  Obviously based on previous Porsche engineering exercises, the 356/1 concept, the type 360K, and the type 64, the production 356 carried forth the same basic design, the parts sharing with Volkswagen, aluminum construction, and aerodynamic styling. 

                Production of the 356 began shortly after the appearance of the 356/1 concept in 1948.  The first 356 models were built in the Gmünd, Austria werks by hand from aluminum.  Over the following two years, Porsche built fifty 356 cars, and by 1950, production was moved to the new Zuffenhausen factory in Germany.  After moving to Zuffenhausen, the construction of the bodies was changed to steel.

                In the early 1950s, cabriolets comprised nearly fifty percent of production.  All 356 built from 1948 to 1954 are easily identified by their split style windshield.  In 1955, the 356A was introduced, and is commonly known by its factory designation Type 1 or T1.  In early 1957, the 356A T2 was introduced, and in late 1959 production began on the updated and technologically refined 356B.  Finally, in 1964, Porsche revealed the final iteration of the model with the 356C.

                In all, Porsche sold 76,313 356 cars from 1948 through 1966.  The Porsche 356, has enjoyed a lot of success in racing whether close to stock or highly modified.  The car won podium places at the 24 hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana, the 1000 Kilometers of Buenos Aires, as well as hundreds of amateur races throughout the world.