The Porsche 356 of 1948 was the first Porsche and its unconventional
appearance and rear-mounted, air cooled engine established a unique pedigree that
endures until this day.
In 1950 the first 356s had appeared in America, which was to become Porsche's
most important overseas market. Therefore in 1954 Porsche introduced an open body
356 named the American Roadster. This paved he way for the 356 Speedster. In 1955
the Carrera name joined the Porsche model range and has been a formidable part
of it ever since.
The model was so named in recognition of Porsche's victories in the Carrera Pan-American
Mexico races between 1952 and 1954. The final manifestation of Porsche's formotive
sports car, the 356C, introduced for the 1964 season, had a relatively brief life
and overlapped with its fabled 911 successor by one year.
Production Guide:
Model
From
To
Production
356
356/2
356A Speedster
356A
356A Carrera
356B
356B Carrera 2
356C
356C Carrera 2
