Porsche adopted Hoffman’s suggestion and stripped the vehicle of all frills in an effort to sell it for less than $3000 USD. They used an existing manufacturing automobile to apply the formula. Starting with the steel-bodied 356 Cabriolet, the factory removed any luxuries and embellishments from the interior’s already minimal design. The windshield is easily detachable for racing and is sloped lower than the Cab’s. Residents had lessened weather protection, relying instead on a lightweight shirt for use in an emergency. The base price of this type was lower than that of a typical cabriolet because the models had a simple roof and no side windows.
The 356 Speedster, introduced for the 1955 model year, enjoyed astounding success during its four-year tenure in production. Initially, a 1.5 liter flat four-cylinder engine powered the Speedster. Porsche introduced the 356A/1600 in 1955 with Reutter cabriolet, coupe, and speedster bodywork. These came with a larger 1582 cc engine that had higher compression to take advantage of the readily available higher octane fuels and were modified to better suit the new gasoline and tire technologies of the time.
From the time of the 356 Speedster’s introduction until the end of production in late 1958, Porsche built 3,676 units.
In This Article...
356 Porsche
In 1948 and 1949, the Austrian business Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH and the German company Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH respectively created the Porsche 356, a sports automobile. It was Porsche’s first vehicle built in volume. The Volkswagen Beetle, the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car, and the Auto Union Grand Prix cars are a few of the earlier creations of the Austrian firm.
The 356 is a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, lightweight, and agile-handling two-door that comes in both hardtop coupe and open body styles. As engineering advancements proceeded during the years of production, it became more and more successful and well-liked in motorsports. Porsche constructed about 50 automobiles at Gmund, Austria, where production began in 1948. General manufacturing of the 356 lasted until April 1965, long after the replacement model 911 made its debut in September 1964, when the factory moved to Zuffenhausen, Germany, in 1950. About half of the 76,000 original productions are still alive.
The 356 coupe’s initial purchase price in 1948 was US$3,750, which is equivalent to $42,300 in 2021. The price of the 356 cabriolet was $4,250 USD (about $47,900 in 2021).
Production & chassis numbers for the Porsche 356
Throughout the 356’s entire production lifespan, its progress remained stable. Changes were made in the middle of a model year, making it necessary to examine both the manufacturing year and the sales model year in order to fully comprehend the entire production figures. This analysis is therefore directionally accurate, but because it required a lot of manual work and isn’t flawless, I would proceed with caution.
Early 1950 to September 1965 made up the 15-year production span. The Speedster was a part of the product line from September 1954 to August 1958. From August 1958 to September 1559, it was replaced by the Convertible D. From September 1559 to September 1961, the Roadster took its place. From Spring 1961 to Fall 1961, the hardtop Coupe was offered.
There were basically four 356 “generations”:
- 356 Porsche The 1100, 1300, 1500, and 1500 S engine options were available from 1950 through October 1955 as a Coupe and Cabriolet, and from 1954 until August 1958 as a Speedster.
- Porsche 356 A, October 1955 through October 1957 From 1957 to 1959, Type T1 had the 1600, 1600 S, 1600 GS Carrera “de Luxe,” and 1500 GS Carrera “Gran Turismo” engine options. From 1955 to August 1958, Type T1 had the Speedster body style, which was replaced by the Cabriolet D until September 1959.
- Volkswagen 356 B. The 1600, 1600 S, 1600 S 90, and 2000 GS engines were available for the 356 B T5s from September 1959 through September 1961 as Coupe, Cabriolet, and Roadster models, as well as Hardtop Coupe models starting in spring 1961. From September of 1961 to July of 1963, the 1600, 1600 S, 1600 S 90, and 2000 GS engines were available in the 356 B T6s as Coupe, Cabriolet, Roadster, and Hardtop Coupe.
- Porsche 365 C, available as a coupe and cabriolet from 1963 July to 1966 September, with the following engine options: 1600 C and 1600 SC.
On June 8, 1948, the first vehicle to carry the Porsche 356 moniker was authorized for public use. It was an Austrian Porsche 356/1 Roadster made in Gmund, Carinthia. A Volkswagen 1.1-liter air-cooled flat-four engine provided power for the “Gmund Roadster.” For the 356 engine, an additional 35 horsepower was added. The roadster only weighed 585 kilos and could travel up to 135 kilometers per hour. The majority of the 50+ Gmund vehicles produced and sold are in Austria and Germany. Production of the 356 began in 1950 after the facility was moved to Stuttcart-Zuffenhausen, next to the Reutter coachworks.
Pre-A refers to 356 models built before 1955. The two-piece windscreen of early cars, which is split by a center bar, makes them simple to identify. Starting with the 1952 model year, a single-piece windscreen with a center curve took its place. When the letter A was introduced to the model line and the automobile underwent a thorough redesign in 1956, it became known as the 356 A. The 356 A was succeeded by the 356 B for the 1960 model year. The 356 B was succeeded by the 356 C in 1964. In May 1966, the final Porsche 356 C was delivered, capping the model year 1965.
Driving delight for more than 60 years with the Porsche Speedster
Outstanding driving dynamics mixed with open-top driving pleasure: Since 1952, speedster variations have been a part of the Porsche corporate heritage. They offer exceptional driving performance along with open-top driving enjoyment.
The 356 America Roadster is the ancestor of all these cars. The Erich Heuer Karosseriefabrik in Ullersricht, next to Weiden, Upper Palatinate, Germany, manually crafted its aluminum body. It was 160 kg lighter than the 356 Coupe thanks to its very lightweight shell, and its 70 PS four-cylinder boxer engine’s top speed of 180 km/h was outstanding at the time. With slot-in windows for the doors, a folding rain-cover top, and lightweight bucket seats, the special sports car, designed for the US market and produced only 16 times, already included crucial Speedster design features.
Max Hoffmann, a US importer, persuaded Porsche that there was a demand for their vehicles in the United States. He asked for a cheap Porsche with sparse furnishings that would cost less than $3,000. Porsche released a substantially less expensive variant of the 356 America Roadster in the fall of 1954. It was the first time the model name featured “Speedster,” and it rapidly became popular in the world of motorsports. It merged the cabriolet’s sheet steel body with a sloped windscreen, less inside gear, and a rain top. The 356 1500 Speedster only cost $2,995 in the USA, and it quickly gained popularity in the warm coastal states. James Dean, a legendary figure in Hollywood and an avid racer, opted for this vehicle that was completely focused on the joy of driving.
The 356 Speedster went through many iterations. The 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT Speedster, which featured a 1.5-liter vertical shaft engine that produced 110 PS, marked the model’s apex in 1957. With a top speed of 200 km/h, it was Porsche’s first production car to do so.
The 911 series’ Speedster variant debuted in 1988 and served as the apex of the discarded G model generation. The 231 PS 911 Carrera model served as the foundation for the most open of all 911 models, which featured a wide turbo appearance. A slimmer car body was optionally available in export markets. There were constructed 161 cars with a lean Carrera body. A manually actuated rain top vanished under a sizable plastic bubble that was painted the same color as the car, and the windscreen was shrunk. The first Speedster in production was introduced in 1988, as opposed to the “911 Speedster Clubsport” concept car that had previously been displayed at the IAA in Frankfurt in 1987. The Speedster’s starting price back then was 110,000 marks. There were 2,103 G series Speedsters made in total.
With the replacement model, it was exactly the opposite: between 1992 and 1993, 930 vehicles of the “lean” 911 Carrera Speedster of the 964 generation left the factory. Additionally, 15 vehicles with broad turbo bodies were made. A revised soft top system was added to the new Speedster models to make it simpler to manually raise and close the roof. The large plastic cover’s locking mechanism at the back was also improved. Bucket seats from the 911 Carrera RS painted in the color of the car and unique leather upholstery served as visual accents. 131,500 marks were spent on the Speedster when it was first introduced in February 1993. However, the buyer was forced to make due without electric windows, air conditioning, and initially even an airbag.
Price of a Porsche 356
One of Porsche’s first mass-produced vehicles, the Porsche 356 was produced between 1948 and 1965. The Porsche 356 coupe originally cost around $3,750, while the cabriolet was only $500 extra. A Porsche 356 coupe today can sell for between US $75,000 and $100,000, and a convertible in collectible condition can go for $500,000 or more.
Two-door coupe, three-door convertible, and two-door roadster versions of the Porsche 356 were all available. The Porsche 356 has continuously received plaudits for being a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle that is lightweight and agile and is available in both coupe and open-top versions. Starting in 1948 and continuing for the first two years of manufacturing, 60 Porsche 356s were manually constructed in Austria. The manufacturing facility was later moved to Stuttgart, Germany, where the remaining Porsche 356s were made.
There were 76,000 Porsche 356S made, and according to some estimates, about half of them have survived. 40% of the vehicles ended up in California after making it to America, where nearly half of them did.
The Porsche 356 is still a very sought-after model. Many older vehicles might not have current safety features, such air conditioning. Even so, they are fantastic old race cars that are dependable and quick compared to other cars in their class. The majority of functional Porsche 356 cars will get good gas mileage and will easily keep up with interstate traffic.
Due to their resemblance to upside-down bathtubs, these bathtub Porsches—as they are known—have a very interesting history as the start of the Porsche production tradition. They may have been able to maintain their worth for the past 60 to 70 years because of this. After all, in today’s market, they will cost at least as much as a brand-new Porsche 911.
How numerous are Porsche speedsters?
- The classic Porsche 911 sports car’s 991 generation is no longer being produced.
- The most recent model was a 911 Speedster headed for the United States.
- Since the most recent 911 is already available for purchase, it will only be 992 going forward.
Porsche has completed the 991-generation 911’s production run. The company claims that it has produced 233,540 pieces of the 991 since 2011, with the final one, a 911 Speedster, rolling off the assembly line in Germany.
This generation ends appropriately with the final 991 being a 911 Speedster. This particular model, which sports distinctive Speedster bodywork, a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine, and a six-speed manual transmission, is essentially a convertible version of the highly sought-after 911 R. This specific version is painted in two-tone silver and white and is destined for the American market. The Speedster was only produced in 1948, a number that reflects the importance of the 1948 356 as the first Porsche in history.
The Porsche 911 sports car has officially entered the 992 era as the Carrera and Carrera S models of the latest generation are currently offered in the United States.
This information was pulled from a poll. At their website, you might be able to discover the same material in a different format or more details.
OpenWeb was used to import this content. At their website, you might be able to discover the same material in a different format or more details.