On 8 June 1948, the first automobile bearing the Porsche name was approved for production: the Porsche 356/1 Roadster, manufactured in Gmünd in the province of Carinthia, Austria.
The "Gmünd Roadster" was powered by a 1.1-litre, air-cooled, four-cylinder boxer engine from Volkswagen. The engine's power had been increased to 35 PS for the 356, which enabled the 585-kg roadster to reach speeds of up to 135 km/h (83 mph).
The original 356 (also called the "pre-A") is easily recognisable thanks to its two-part windscreen divided by a centre bar. From the model year 1952, this was replaced by a single windscreen with a crease in the centre.
All 356s were also available in open-top versions (Cabriolet, Speedster or Roadster).
Porsche Classic Partner
Porsche is constantly expanding its skill-set for working with classic Porsche cars. Selected Porsche Centres are (or will be) Porsche Classic Partners, and your classic car is in good hands here: Certified experts are on hand to answer any questions you may have, whether about a repair, a parts replacement, or simply your shared interest in classic Porsches.
Factory restoration
The primary goal of the Porsche Classic Factory Restoration team is to maintain and care for historic Porsche vehicles. We have decades of experience in servicing, repairing and restoring classic and vintage Porsche series production vehicles, so you can trust us as a specialist contact for your car. We use original special tools and have access to all technical documentation and the Porsche archive. So you can be sure that your classic car is in the best hands.