1960 PORSCHE 356

Widely acknowledged as Porsche's first venture into motor manufacturing, the 356 was a lightweight and nimble rear engined, rear-wheel-drive, two-door sporting car available in hardtop coupé and open configurations. Over a 15-year production period, the 356 evolved from an aluminium bodied coupé with an 1100cc air-cooled flat-four engine, to a proper sports car with a 2,000cc four-cam Carrera engine producing 130bhp.

The 356 B was produced from 1960 with the introduction of the T5 variant which saw body changes that included a curved bonnet lid, more rounded wings compared to that of the 356A and new front and rear sheet metal. To comply with US-Federal requirements, the front, and rear bumpers were raised and over-riders added. Other key changes were raised headlamps, larger door handles, upgraded brakes and some improvements to the cabin including a new deep dish steering wheel and deeper front seats.

They were powered by a 1.6-litre, air-cooled flat-four which was offered in four distinct states of tune depending on the performance level desired. All variants utilised dual Zenith 32 NDIX carburettors and a 4-speed manual transmission. The 1600 Super (Type 616/2) was the mid-tier choice producing 75bhp at 5,000 rpm achieved with a raised 8.5:1 compression ratio and a hotter camshaft profile.

Full details to follow.