The Porsche 356 B, produced from 1960 to 1963, represents the mid-point in the 356’s model history. In what is known as “T5” form, the B was designed around new front and rear sheet metal shapes, while retaining the curved front bonnet and rounded arches of the earlier A series. The 356 B also added selected features requested by American customers, such as raised front and rear bumpers to better protect the body from damage while parking. The headlights were raised, a larger bonnet handle added, and front vent windows appeared in the doors. A new steering wheel and column similarly refreshed the interior, along with redesigned rear seats.
The 356 B also reflected Porsche’s continuing effort to improve the line’s mechanical components, with stronger engine internals, transaxle, shifting linkage, and better Alfin brakes. The “Super” model, with higher compression, added an extra 15 brake horsepower to the standard version’s 1.6-litre, air-cooled “flat four” engine. As the direct descendant of the coveted Speedster model, Porsche continued the lineage of a stripped-down, open-top 356 with the limited production Convertible D beginning in 1958 and the Roadster model just a year later.
