The 356 was built by Porsche in 1948 in a tiny workshop in Gmünd, Austria. This, of course, is the granddaddy of all modern Porsche models. Growing demand led to production moving to Stuttgart in 1950, where the now steel-bodied cars were assembled by Karosserie Reutter. Initially built with a split windshield, the design was refined in 1952 with a more modern, one-piece curved windshield.
From 1955, production took place at the Zuffenhausen plant. The Porsche 356 is built on a platform chassis with the air-cooled engine in the rear, which, combined with a torsion beam and fully independent suspension, provides a sportier feel than the chassis alone would suggest.
Continuous development of the model leads to improved cars every year. Initially powered by an 1,100 cc four-cylinder engine, this was later replaced by 1,300 and 1,500 cc variants. In 1952, the two-piece windshield was replaced by a curved one, and from then on, the transmission was synchronized. Of the various versions Porsche built between 1948 and 1965, the oldest, also known as “pre-A,” is the most sought-after and also the rarest; the purest 356!
We offer a beautiful Porsche 356 built by Porsche in April 1954. This example features a Reutter body in Stuttgart. The first owner lived in New York, and the American importer Hoffman supplied the car. The first owner is believed to have been the famous actor Christopher Plummer, a car enthusiast, including Porsches. A copy of the delivery note showing Mr. Plummer as the owner accompanies the car. At some point, this 356 received a correct pre-A 1,500 cc Tipo 572 engine with a period-correct split-case transmission. This Porsche subsequently moved to Europe and was restored and overhauled around 2005 by Giro Classico.
