Porsche 356 Pre-A
The Porsche 356 is a rear-engined sports car and Porsche's very first production model. The 356 is a lightweight and agile, rear-wheel-drive, rear-engined two-door model, available as a hardtop coupe and open-top version. Technical innovations continued throughout the production years, contributing to the car's success and popularity in motorsport. Production began in 1948 in Gmünd, Austria, where Porsche built approximately 50 cars. In 1950, the factory moved to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965, long after the replacement model 911 made its debut in September 1964. The 356 was built in four distinct series: the original ("pre-A"), followed by the 356 A, 356 B, and finally the 356 C. To distinguish between the major revisions of the model, 356s are generally divided into a few main groups. The 356 coupes and "cabriolets" (soft-tops) built until 1955 are easily recognizable by their split (1948 to 1952) or curved (center-creased, 1953 to 1955) windshields.
The Porsche 356 is a rear-engined sports car and Porsche's very first production model.
The 356 is a lightweight and agile, rear-wheel-drive, rear-engined two-door model, available as a hardtop coupe and open-top version. Technical innovations continued throughout its production years, contributing to the car's success and popularity in motorsport. Production began in 1948 in Gmünd, Austria, where Porsche built approximately 50 cars. In 1950, the factory moved to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965, long after the replacement model, the 911, made its debut in September 1964.
The 356 was built in four different series: the original ("pre-A"), followed by the 356 A, 356 B, and finally the 356 C. To distinguish between the major revisions of the model, 356s are generally divided into a few main groups. The 356 coupes and "cabriolets" (soft-tops) built until 1955 are easily recognizable by their split (1948 to 1952) or curved (mid-creased, 1953 to 1955) windscreens. The 356 A appeared in late 1955, featuring a curved windscreen. The A was the first road-going Porsche to offer the Carrera four-camshaft engine as an option. The T5 356 B appeared in late 1959; followed by the redesigned T6 series 356 B in 1962. The final version was the 356 C, little changed from the late T6 B cars, but disc brakes replaced the drum brakes.
This Porsche 356 Pre A that we present here is an original car delivered in Portugal. After driving in Portugal for some time, it was exported to France where it arrived in 2004. The car then went to a major Porsche collector in Denmark in 2017 from whom we bought it. It was restored in France, where a 1600 cc. engine was installed. It is a beautiful Porsche that is still in a fantastic condition. These early Porsches are very popular with real Porsche fans. The price includes the bottom block of a period correct 1500 cc. engine from 1954.