Porsche 356 (1952)

Our ZeitHaus museum is showcasing a true milestone in automotive history – the Porsche 356. The 356 was the first sports car to satisfy all the requirements of a Gran Turismo (GT), its excellent engineering and comfort making it suitable for both racing and driving long distances.

This was the first Porsche in its generation, setting the scenes for specialisation in sports cars and fast vehicles as a blueprint for later generations of sports cars. It was also a milestone in lightweight construction at a curb weight of 765 kilos and a streamlined drag coefficient of 0.29.

The first 356 was completed in 1948 in Gmünd, Austria, featuring a mid-engine layout and an aluminium roadster body. However, the company switched to steel bodywork in 1950 when production moved to Stuttgart. The next iteration, 356 A, debuted in 1955, to be replaced by the 356 B four years later. The final version, the 356 C, was launched onto the market in 1963.

A total of 76,000 were built between 1950 and 1966. The model exhibited at the ZeitHaus museum has a four-cylinder boxer engine with a displacement of 1,286 cc delivering 33 kW or 3 bhp for a top speed of 145 km/h. The car was available new at an ex-showroom price of 10,200 DM.