Porsche 356SL – Helmut Polensky-Walter Schlüter – Liège-Rome-Liège 1952. Limited edition

Porsche 356SL

Porsche 356SL – Helmut Polensky-Walter Schlüter – Liège-Rome-Liège 1952. Limited edition

The Porsche 356 is a sports car that was first produced by Austrian company Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH (1948–1949), and then by German company Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH (1950–1965).

It was Porsche’s first production automobile. Earlier cars designed by the Austrian company include Cisitalia Grand Prix race car, the Volkswagen Beetle, and Auto Union Grand Prix cars.

The 356 is a lightweight and nimble-handling, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door available both in hardtop coupé and open configurations. Engineering innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity.

Production started in 1948 at Gmünd, Austria, where Porsche built approximately 50 cars. In 1950 the factory relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965, well after the replacement model 911 made its September 1964 debut. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half survive.

The original price in 1948 for the 356 coupe was US$3,750 (equivalent to $45,700 in 2022) (official general USD inflation). The 356 cabriolet cost US$4,250 (equivalent to $51,800 in 2022).

At the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, Porsche was the first and only German manufacturer to compete. Porsche fielded the 356 SL (Sport Light) “Gmünd-Coupe” with its streamlined aluminum body and covered wheels.

The debut was a huge success: Auguste Veuillet and his friend Edmond Mouche won the class 751 to 1100 cc and received the flag as 20th overall.

Several Porsche 356s were stripped down in weight, and were modified in order to have better performance and handling for these races. A few notable examples include the Porsche 356 SL, and the Porsche 356 A Carrera GT.

In the early 1960s Porsche collaborated with Abarth and built the Porsche 356 B Carrera GTL Abarth coupé, which enjoyed some success in motorsports.

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History : See wikipedia article