Porsche · 1948–present
Porsche 356/1
The Porsche 356/1 was the first real car created by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. This prototype car was a two-seater open roadster with a mid-mounted, air-cooled flat-4 engine of 1,131 cc displacement that produced 40 horsepower (30 kW). While the body was an original design, most of the mechanicals (including engine and suspension) were derived from the Volkswagen Beetle which Ferry's father, Ferdinand Porsche, had designed. The aluminum roadster body of the 356/1 was designed by Porsche employee Erwin Komenda in April 1948 at Gmünd and completed only a month later. Smooth and low, the 356/1 set the pattern for later 356s with one fundamental difference; the engine of the production cars was moved behind the rear axle (to reduce costs and make room for two additional seats). The car was registered by the state of Carinthia (Kärnten) with the license plate K45-286 and made its maiden voyage on June 8, 1948. Only one 356/1 was made and it is on display at the Porsche Museum, Stuttgart.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Successor: Porsche 356
All Porsche 356/1 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Specifications
- name
- Porsche 356/1
- Manufacturer
- Porsche
- Production
- 1948, 1 produced
- Assembly
- Austria: Gmünd
- Successor
- Porsche 356/2
- Class
- 2-door sports car
- Layout
- RMR layout
- Body style
- Roadster
- Engine
- 1.1 L Type VW369 B4
- Designer
- Erwin Komenda
- Wheelbase
- 82.7 in
- Width
- 65.4 in
- Kerb weight
- 585 kg
- Top speed
- 135 km/h
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1719966CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_356/1CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1294811061 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Porsche_356_No._1_Roadster_IMG_0814.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Alexander Migl · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.