Porsche 356/1

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Porsche 356/1
Porsche No. 1 Type 356 (mid-engine prototype) Porsche No. 1 Type 356 (mid-engine prototype) Porsche-Museum
Manufacturer Porsche
Production 1948
Predecessor none
Successor Porsche 356
Class Sports car (2-door)
Body style(s) Roadster
Layout RMR layout
Engine(s) 1.1 L B4, 40 hp (DIN)
Wheelbase 82.7 inch (2100 mm)
Width 65.4 inch (1660 mm)
Designer Erwin Komenda
The Porsche 356/1
The Porsche 356/1

The Porsche 356/1 was the first real Porsche 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 and was 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).

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