356

          Before the advent of World War II, the company that was eventually to be known as Porsche, was most famous for designing a government influenced car called the Volkswagen. But the company's founder, Ferdinand Porsche, like many car designers of the time, was interested in racing. For that reason he built the Type 64 in 1939 to run that year's Berlin to Rome race. Unfortunately war broke out and the actual Type 64 was never really tested.

          Fast forward to after the war and as Germany dug out of the rubble, both actual and economic, Porsche set out to enhance the Type 64. The result was the company's first true sports car, the 356.

          The 356 was the brain child of Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. Introduced in 1946 it was unlike anything seen up to that time. With a rear mounted air cooled engine, reminiscent of the VW, the 356 was very much its own creature. Designed not so much as a car for the people but rather a car for the driving enthusiast, the 356 was light, sleek and had an amazing front to rear weight distribution that made handling almost a second thought.

          During its life span, which went through the 1965 model year, the 356 saw a number of changes, including some cosmetic and some mechanical. For example, the engine grew from a 1.1 liter to a 2.0 liter which added power while keeping the curb weight essentially the same. This meant a faster car.

         Porsche sold about 76,000 of the various 356 models during its run and a few of those were on hand at the recent Volkswagen and Porsche Reunion show. Those shown are some of the many 356 models that were on hand.