Guide: Porsche 356 — Supercar Nostalgia

Mar 31

Mar 31 Guide: Porsche 356

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Background

Faced with relentless Allied bombing raids, Porsche moved from Zuffenhausen in Stuttgart to the remote Austrian town of Gmund during 1944. However, the extremely cramped facility (an old converted sawmill) was totally unsuited to automotive production and delays were commonplace.

At the time, Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory (acquired in 1938) was occupied by the American army. With no prospect of its imminent return, an alternative solution had to be found if the company was to move back to Germany.

Also based in Zuffenhausen was the Reutter coachworks which had a reputation as the best in the business. In November 1949, Porsche struck a deal with Reutter for 500 Coupe bodies and, as part of the agreement, Porsche leased 5000 sq ft of Reutter’s warehouse space for final assembly of their cars.

A separate contract for the production of Cabriolet bodies went to the Glaser company in Ullesricht.

Any hope of Porsche’s original Zuffenhausen plant being vacated by the Americans seemed to be dashed by the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950. As Porsche’s engineering and administrative staff were still in Gmund, an additional 1100 sq ft facility was purchased next to Reutter and, by December 1950, all the key components for manufacture of the 356 were back in Germany.

The first Porsche 356 completed in Stuttgart was finished in March 1950. Within a few months, production at Gmund had come to an end.

Bodywork

As Reutter’s craftsmen were not skilled in working with aluminium (nor did they have the necessary tools), Porsche were forced to switch to steel bodies for these German-built 356s. The move to mass production also saw many parts made in stamping dies as opposed to by hand.

Aside from the type of material used, the bodyshells manufactured by Reutter had a number of design differences to those from the old Gmund works.

The roof was more rounded, the cabin was a little wider and the car’s waistline was a little taller.

The bonnet line was also higher while the two-piece windscreen was lower and wider and now curved outwards towards the A-pillars.

The nose-mounted Porsche script was positioned below the bonnet instead of upon it.

Polished trim inserts were added to the bumpers which sometimes sported overriders for additional protection.

The front quarterlights were dropped and the rear quarter windows which used to open were now fixed in their rubber mouldings.

Chassis

The only bolt-on panels were the doors, engine lid and the bonnet with everything else welded in place to form a unitary body / chassis.

Suspension was fully independent via transverse torsion bars and trailing arms with additional swing axles at the rear.

Brakes were hydraulically operated 230mm drums supplied by Lockheed.

Pressed-steel 3 x 16-inch wheels featured chrome hubcaps and came shod with 5 x 16-inch tyres.

A 52-litre fuel tank was located under the front lid along with a spare wheel and battery.

Engine & Gearbox

In the engine bay was an all-alloy Volkswagen-derived air-cooled Flat 4 carried over from the Gmund-built cars.

Designated Type 369, this 1.1-litre motor displaced 1086cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 73.5mm and 64mm respectively.

Modifications from the Beetle included a lightweight alloy crankcase, domed pistons and enlarged valves.

With a compression ratio of 7.0:1 and new Solex 32 PBI carburettors, the Type 369 engine produced 40bhp at 4200rpm and 51lb-ft at 2600rpm.

Transmission was via a non-synchromesh four-speed Volkswagen gearbox with single dry plate Fichtel & Sachs clutch.

Interior

Like the exterior, the cabin was simple and elegantly styled.

A body coloured metal dash was home to a speedometer and clock. A radio and rev counter were optional extras.

Beech caps were added to the top of each door panel. The door panels themselves were normally upholstered to match the seats and rear quarters.

Leather was most commonly specified but fabric upholstery was also available.

A grey cloth headliner was fitted to all 356s of this era while most also came with occasional rear seats.

The steering wheel featured twelve delicate wire spokes in three banks of four and was manufactured by Petri. Its faux ivory finish matched the switchgear.

The driver was provided with a tinted Perspex sun visor.

Weight / Performance

Although the addition of a steel body meant weight rose by 130kg (to 745kg), performance was still spirited considering the modest output.

Top speed was a whisker over 80mph and 0-62mph took around 19 seconds.

Production Begins

The first Stuttgart-built 356 (chassis 5000) was made for Ferry Porsche who used it as his personal transportation.

Porsche initially thought a production run of 500 units would satisfy demand. However, it soon became apparent this was a considerable under-estimate as sales picked up immediately.

In October 1950, Porsche had a stand at the Paris Motor Show. Here the company was approached by French racing driver and car dealer, Auguste Veuillet, who was eager to become the distributor for France.

Veuillet also suggested the firm should race at Le Mans. He secured an invite from the organisers which Porsche accepted. Three special 356 SLs were built up for the event using alloy bodies from the Gmund era.

Porsche also held a meeting with American car dealer Max Hoffman in Paris. Hoffman was already the Volkswagen and Jaguar distributor for North America and soon became the Porsche concessionaire too.

A few weeks later, Porsche sent their first trio of cars and spare parts to the USA and the market quickly became central to the firm’s success.

On March 21st 1951, the 500th German-built 356 rolled off the production line.

March 1951 New 1.3-litre Engine

That same month, a bigger 1.3-litre Type 506 engine was announced. It marked the first significant move away from the original Volkswagen unit.

Bored from 73.5mm to 80mm (stroke was unchanged at 64mm), displacement rose from 1086cc to 1286cc.

Further enhancements included lightweight alloy cylinder barrels and nosed pistons (both manufactured by Mahle). These saved 5.5kg. The cylinder bores were chrome-plated to reduce friction. Compression was dropped from 7.0 to 6.5:1, a figure more compatible with fuels of the day. Although the two Solex 32 PBI carburettors were retained, they were now configured slightly differently.

Output rose from 40bhp to 44bhp at an identical 4200rpm. The torque rating increased from 51lb-ft at 2600rpm to 60lb-ft at 2800rpm.

Top speed was circa 85mph while 0-62mph took 17 seconds. However, these gains were at some cost to refinement as the new Type 506 engine was a good deal noisier than its smaller counterpart.

April 1951 Production Changes

The next month (April 1951), Porsche switched from lever type rear shock absorbers to telescopic dampers. They also made some minor switchgear alterations, added opening rear windows and ATE twin-leading-shoe front brakes.

Early Competition Success

In June 1951, an aluminium-bodied 356 SL driven by Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche won the 1.1-litre Sport class and finished 19th overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

This outing was followed by a two-car works entry for the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally in the middle of August. Porsche took an 1100 for Huschke von Hanstein / Petermax Muller while the entry for Paul von Guilleaume / Count Heinrich von der Muhle was powered by a prototype 1500cc engine. This specially tuned 1.5-litre motor had a raised compression ratio (7.4:1), hot camshafts, alloy cylinder barrels, chrome-plated bores and sodium-filled valves to improve heat dissipation.

Like the subsequent production 1500cc engine, it included a Hirth roller bearing crankshaft instead of the plain-bearing unit used by Porsche’s smaller engines. Output was 72bhp at 5100rpm.

Guilleaume and von der Muhle finished third overall in the 1500cc car while von Hanstein / Muller placed tenth.

October 1951 New 1.5-litre Super Engine

The production 1500 Super with roller-bearing engine (Type 527) was officially announced in October 1951.

As the cylinder walls of the 1300 were already pushed out as far as they could go, extending the stroke was the only way to raise displacement. This was taken out from 64mm to 74mm for a capacity of 1488cc (a 202cc gain). Such a big increase was facilitated by the use of new flat top pistons.

The same twin choke Solex 40 PBIC carburettors as fitted to the Liege-Rome-Liege car were used but, for production, compression was reduced from 7.4 to 7.0:1.

Peak output was 60bhp at 5000rpm and 75lb-ft at 3000rpm.

Top speed was now 92mph and the 0-62mph time dropped to under 15 seconds.

Customers could therefore choose from three alternative engines for 1952: the 1100cc Type 369 (for which demand was unsurprisingly dwindling), the 1300cc Type 506 and the 1500cc roller bearing Type 527.

Further Max Hoffman Influence

In 1952, Porsche adopted an emblem at the suggestion of Max Hoffman.

Hoffman also suggested the firm should produce a simplified lightweight roadster for Americans that wanted to go racing. Only 16 of the resultant Type 540 356 America Roadsters were built, all of which came with the flagship engine. These cars are covered separately.

April 1952 Production Changes

Technical changes came thick and fast throughout 1952.

In April 1952, Porsche switched to a single-piece windscreen which required the front wings to be slightly lengthened. Brightwork was added to the front and rear windscreens in the form of a slim aluminium moulding.

Inside, a host of changes were made. Green on black instruments replaced the original white on black type, the beech door caps were switched to body colour, a passenger sun visor was added and a conventional indicator stalk was fitted in place of a switch on the dash.

Fibreboard was used instead of steel for the glovebox. All cars were fitted with fully reclining seats that featured large chrome-plated hinges screwed to the sides of the backrests. To increase luggage space, the rear seats could be lowered flat.

At the same time, wider 3.25-inch wheels were fitted (up from 3-inches). They were not only ventilated to assist brake cooling but also lighter than before. Louvred hub caps were a new, expensive and rarely specified option.

Additionally, the throttle cable was exchanged for a metal rod linkage while the fuel tank was widened and secured with metal straps instead of bolts.

New Zuffenhausen Factory

In May 1952, sufficient profit had been made that construction was able to begin on a new Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen.

June 1952 Production Changes

In June 1952, the 356’s bumpers were moved further away from the body and fitted with black rubber inserts.

The spare wheel was repositioned and the battery was moved back to improve weight distribution.

1953 Model Year: New 1.5-litre Engines & Getrag Gearbox

Two new engines, a new gearbox and myriad other changes were then introduced in October 1952 for the 1953 model year.

A plain-roller bearing 1500cc motor was added to the line up. This Type 546 engine produced 55bhp at 4400rpm and featured two Solex 32 PBI downdraught carburettors as used on the 1100 and 1300.

Porsche also replaced the flagship Type 527 roller-bearing engine in the 1500 Super. The new Type 528 motor most notably featured a higher 8.2:1 compression and produced 70bhp at 5000rpm (a 10bhp gain). A top speed of just over 100mph and 0-62mph time of under 14 seconds made this the most potent production 356 yet.

Volkswagen’s old and much-criticised non-synchromesh gearbox was dropped in favour of a new Getrag assembly with patented split-ring synchromesh. As a result, the gear lever was moved forward by 120mm.

Cosmetic changes for the 1953 model year included twin instead of single tail lights and a reverse light mounted on the number plate housing (where the brake light had previously resided).

More substantial bumpers were set even further away from the body and now came with bigger aluminium inserts.

The front indicators were moved to directly underneath the headlamps.

Inside, Porsche fitted a new VDM two-spoke steering wheel, replaced the clock with a tachometer and added some soundproofing. Two-speed wipers and a beige headliner were new options.

Underneath the front lid, the spare wheel was braced with a leather strap, an aluminium cover was fitted over the battery and the washer bottle was switched from glass to plastic.

New light alloy brake drums were fitted. These were of 280mm diameter all round (up from 230mm) and now radially finned at front. Wheel bolts were changed to wheel studs attached to the brake drums.

The first 1953 model year cars rolled out of Porsche’s new factory in November 1952.

1954 Model Year

Only modest changes were made in October 1953 (for the 1954 model year).

The original clap hands wiper arrangement was switched to a parallel action and washer jets were introduced.

A 1.3-litre roller-bearing engine was also released. Displacement of this new Type 589 unit was 1290cc (4cc up on the plain-bearing 1.3). This was achieved by reducing the bore from 80mm to 74.5mm and increasing stoke from 64mm to 74mm (to match the 1.5). The compression ratio was increased to 8.2:1. Peak output was 60bhp at 5500rpm and 65lb-ft at 3600rpm.

The first right-hand drive 356 had been produced as far back as June 1951. However, it was not until late 1953 that the first official imports started under UK distributor, AFN.

Mid Year Production Changes

More changes were on the way in April 1954.

Buyers were given the choice of ivory, beige or grey for the steering wheel, switchgear and window winders. A sunroof option also became available.

The heater controls were moved from the dashboard to the floor and a fuel gauge was introduced.

Distinctive new horn grilles were added inboard of the front indicators.

In June 1954, the plain-bearing 1300cc engine switched over to the same block as the 4cc larger roller-bearing variant. The new motor was given type number 506/1 (the original was Type 506). Output, compression and carburettors remained unchanged.

356 Speedster

Although the Type 540 356 America Roadster of 1952 had proven a commercial failure (partly because of problems finding a suitable coachbuilder), Porsche’s US distributor, Max Hoffman, was convinced there was a market for a less expensive open top 356 that would appeal to American weekend racers.

Obligingly, Porsche launched the 356 Speedster at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1954 (for the 1955 model year). It went into production two months later.

Whereas 356 Coupes and Cabriolets were bodied by Reutter, Speedster bodies were initially constructed at the Drauz works in Heilbronn. Production then switched to Reutter after the first 200 units.

Speedsters came with a cut-down windscreen and simplified hood that featured detachable side screens instead of conventional windows. Externally, an anodised gold Speedster badge was added to each front fender while a chrome swage line ran almost the entire length of the car.

Cockpits were equipped with bucket seats, door panels without map pockets and a unique dash that featured a domed instrument binnacle and no glovebox.

1955 Model Year

Production of the 1100cc 356 was discontinued for 1955.

Meanwhile, the rest of the range benefited from a new three-piece aluminium-alloy crankcase to replace Volkswagen’s original two-piece magnesium component. Oil capacity was increased from 3.5 to 4.5-litres and engine’s were given new type numbers.

The Type 506/1 in the plain-bearing engined 1300 became the Type 506/2.

The Type 589 in the roller-bearing engined 1300 Super became the Type 589/2.

The Type 546 in the plain-bearing engined 1500 became the 546/2.

The Type 528 in the roller-bearing engined 1500 Super became the Type 528/2.

Other changes made at the same time included the addition of a front anti-roll bar and new spring rates to reduce oversteer.

Externally, a Porsche badge was incorporated onto the front lid handle.

Nearly all examples bound for North America during the 1955 model year (when only the 1500 and 1500 Super were officially exported) were given a protective chrome rubbing strip with a rubber insert that ran the length of the wheelbase. New Continental fender badges were also fitted to these cars. However, Ford owned the Continental trademark for its Lincoln brand and this script was quickly dropped.