After designing and building the iconic VW Beatle in the ’30s, Ferdinand Porsche decided to build a sports-car – the Porsche 356 was born. Available in 4 different engine variations and as a coupe or convertible, this car was the beginning of a legacy that is still defining the world of motor vehicles today.
At the first glance 44 hp and a peak torque of 81 Nm (60 lb ft) in the Porsche 356 1300 might seem strange for a sports car. But remember, first of all we are still talking about the 1950s and secondly, this car only weighed 830 kg (1330 lbs) – that’s ridiculously little. That combined with the convertible body-style, no traction control or driver assistent gadgets from Bosch, the 356 cabriolet was a pretty fun car to drive – and still is.
Quick Facts | |
Year | 1948 - 1965 |
Cylinders | 4 |
Displacement | 1286 ccm (78.5 ci) |
Horsepower | 44 |
Top Speed | 144 km/h (90 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | 19.5 s |
Engine | |
Type | naturally aspirated 4-cylinder boxer engine |
Position | rear |
Displacement | 1286 ccm (78.5 ci) |
Compression Ratio | 6.5:1 |
Boost Pressure | / |
max. RPM | / |
max. Torque @RPM | 81 Nm (60 ft lb) @2500 |
max. Horsepower @RPM | 44 @4000 |
Valves/Cylinder | 2 |
Valvecontrol | Central camshaft (pushrod) |
Transmission | |
Drivetrain | RWD |
Type | 4-speed manual |
Gear Ratios | / |
Final Axel Ratio | 4.38 |
Design | |
Seats | 2+2 |
Doors | 2 |
Length/Width/Height | 3950/1661/1300 mm (155.5/65.4/51.2 in) |
Weight | 830 kg (1830 lbs) |
Paint Options | / |
Interior Colour Options | / |
Interior Materials | / |
Cw value | / |
Design by | Porsche |
Performance | |
Top Speed | 144 km/h (90 mph) |
0-60mph / 0-100kmh | 19.5 s |
60-120mph / 100-200kmh | / |
60-0mph / 100-0kmh | / |
1/4 Mile | / |
Price | |
New | ≈ 10.000 DM (≈ 30.000 $ today) |
Used | ≈ 100.000 $ |
Thank you for visiting Motor Heritage. Big thank you goes to Porsche and the cars owner, Greg O’Keefe (Website) for providing the images. Feel free to check out the other cars we covered so far by clicking here. If you would like to suggest a car that we should cover, go to our Contact form to send it in.