Porsche Blog

Porsche 356 is a two-seater based on the Volkswagen, code-named Type 356 after that as a design office. Based Fiat Cisitalia sports car as inspiration, the first Type 356 has a tubular frame and body, designed by Erwin Kommenda, was the first to carry the name of the legendary Porsche, throws logotype almost unchanged today.

Type of vehicle 356 to follow the platform as the Volkswagen chassis, but still the same basic engine lay-out and unique Kommenda body. Why change the chassis right? That is a question that can be asked about the changes from the Porsche. The reason is simple; Porsche and the people who perfectionist, because the car is always produced in relatively small amounts, it is easy to change the things in detail. Until the technical wizards can see how to improve some of them, usually after a trial in the Porsche race.

The result is a stream of interesting, complicated and confusing cars, each with almost no changes slightly better than the new. But as their logo was not changed, so their basic lay-out for 27 years: only a brief temptation to open wheel racing, they all are behind the motor, air cooled, all emerging sports car itself. Only from the year 1975 that there are more conventional front motor, water-cooled Porsches, and they are still true sports car.

In 1951, a high performance version of the 356 will race at Le Mans as a result of a request by the race organizer, Charles Faroux, a professor who helped free from prison. Ferdinand Porsche lived long enough to see the 356 coupe won their classes in French race and set himself as a force in raising Continental. He had a stroke in the fall and died the following year, leaving the company in the hands of his son, Ferry, the Piech family support. Almost nothing has changed in the Porsche. Production transferred to Zuffephausen, near Stuttgart, West Germany, but the same car, continue to produce versions of the original work of their god.

In 1952, the Porsche company rooted in race as a means to promote the car and clear that they needed a new engine for additional power. One of the young designers Porsche, Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, given the head and follow-up on average four-camshaft four-cylinder unit with Ferry Porsche and Karl Raabe chief engineer of the old one of Professor Porsche’s first employee, looking over his shoulder.