Porsche special models · 1948–1965

Porsche 356: History, Models & Production Numbers

By CarWhere Research · Updated

The Porsche 356 is the first production Porsche, built from 1948 to 1965. The first 52 cars were hand-built with aluminum bodies in Gmünd, Austria; series production moved to Zuffenhausen in 1950. Porsche says some 78,000 were made across the original, 356 A, 356 B and 356 C.

The 356 is where Porsche as a carmaker begins. The 356 "No. 1" Roadster, a mid-engine one-off, received its operating permit on June 8, 1948. The production 356/2 that followed moved the engine behind the rear axle and was built by hand in a former sawmill in Gmünd, Austria, where the design office had relocated during the war. Those Gmünd cars, 44 coupes and 8 cabriolets, wore aluminum bodies and were shown to an international audience at the Geneva Motor Show in spring 1949.

In 1950 production moved home to Zuffenhausen, with steel bodies supplied by the coachbuilder Reutter; 317 cars were finished there by the end of that year. Over the next 15 years the car evolved through four broad phases: the original (often called Pre-A), the 356 A from September 1955, the 356 B from September 1959 and the 356 C from September 1963. The quickest versions carried the Carrera name and a four-cam engine designed by Ernst Fuhrmann. The last 356 C was delivered in May 1966.

356 history, year by year

  1. 1948 — The 356 "No. 1" Roadster, the first car to carry the Porsche name, receives its general operating permit on June 8.[1],[2]
  2. 1948–1950 — 52 cars of the 356/2 (44 coupes, 8 cabriolets) are hand-built with aluminum bodies in Gmünd, Austria.[1],[2]
  3. 1949 — The Gmünd-built cars are presented to an international audience at the Geneva Motor Show in spring.[2]
  4. 1950 — The first 356 is completed in Zuffenhausen on April 6, with steel bodies from Reutter; 317 cars are built by year-end.[1],[3]
  5. 1955 — The 356 A replaces the original 356 in September; the top 1500 GS Carrera uses the Fuhrmann four-cam engine with 100 PS.[4]
  6. 1959 — The 356 B (T5 body) arrives in September and is presented at the Frankfurt IAA.[5],[6]
  7. 1961 — The T6 update in September brings a wider front lid and an external fuel filler on the right front fender.[5]
  8. 1963 — The 356 C replaces the 356 B in September, with disc brakes standard on every 356.[7]
  9. 1965–1966 — Production ends in 1965 with some 78,000 built; the last 356 C is delivered in May 1966.[1],[7]

How many 356s were made?

Porsche 356 years and production figures. ≈ marks an approximate figure.
Model / variantYearsUnitsWhat the figure counts
3561948–1965≈ 78,000[1],[8]total builtPorsche AG says 'some 78,000'; the Porsche Cars North America timeline says 77,361.
356 (Gmünd)1948–195052[1]hand-built in Gmünd, Austria
356 C1963–1965≈ 16,684[6]Porsche Classic's figure for the final 356 series ("some 16,684 units").

Road-car totals for every Porsche model: Porsche production numbers.

Porsche 356 specs

Key Porsche 356 specifications as published by the cited sources.
No. 1 Roadster engine1,131 cc four-cylinder boxer, 35 PS (mid-mounted)[2]
356/2 (Gmünd) engineFour-cylinder boxer raised to 40 PS, moved behind the rear axle[2]
356 A engines1300 (44 PS), 1300 Super (60 PS), 1600 (60 PS), 1600 Super (75 PS), 1500 GS Carrera (100 PS)[4]
356 B power range60 PS (356 B 1600) to 140 PS (356 B 2000 GS-GT Carrera 2)[5]
356 C enginesThree engines, from 75 PS to 130 PS (2000 GS Carrera 2)[7]
Carrera engineFuhrmann Type 547 four-cam flat-four, cams driven by vertical shafts, dual ignition[5],[9]
BodyHand-formed aluminum (Gmünd, 1948–1950); steel bodies from Reutter in Zuffenhausen from 1950[2],[3]
BrakesDisc brakes standard on all 356s from the 356 C (1963)[7]
No. 1 Roadster weight / top speed585 kg / 135 km/h[2]

What made the 356 significant

  • The 356 "No. 1" Roadster of 1948 was the first car to carry the Porsche name, which makes the 356 the starting point of every Porsche sports car since.[1],[2]
  • The Carrera name started on the 356 as the label for the Fuhrmann four-cam engine; fewer than 2,000 of these vertical-shaft engines were ever built.[9]
  • The 356 B Carrera 2 of 1962 was the first series-production Porsche with disc brakes, a feature that became standard across the 356 C range.[7],[10]
  • Production of the 356 overlapped the new 911 and ran until 1965, with the final 356 C delivered in May 1966.[1],[7]

What to check before you buy a 356

  • Get the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, which confirms the chassis number, engine number, original color and factory specification as recorded by Porsche.
  • Check the chassis, engine and body numbers against each other. Many 356s carry replacement engines, so a matching-numbers car is worth more and worth verifying.
  • Confirm the series (Pre-A, A, B T5, B T6 or C) from the chassis number and body details. The T6 body, for example, has a wider front lid and an external fuel filler on the right front fender.[5]
  • Treat Carrera claims carefully. Genuine four-cam Carreras are far rarer than pushrod cars, and conversions and replicas exist, so ask for factory documentation and a specialist's opinion.[9]
  • Pay for a pre-purchase inspection by a 356 specialist who knows where these cars rust (floors, longitudinals, battery box, door bottoms) and can judge the quality of earlier repairs.

Confirm how a 356 left the factory.

The Porsche 356 predates the 17-character VIN, so a VIN build sheet cannot cover it. Porsche's own record for these cars is the Certificate of Authenticity, now called the Production Specification. The guide explains what it shows and how to order one.

Porsche Certificate of Authenticity guide

Porsche 356 FAQ

How many Porsche 356s were made?

Porsche says it built some 78,000 cars of the 356 by the end of production in 1965. That total includes the 52 hand-built Gmünd cars of 1948–1950. A Porsche Cars North America timeline gives a slightly different figure of 77,361.

What years was the Porsche 356 made?

From 1948 to 1965. The No. 1 Roadster was registered in June 1948, Gmünd production ran until 1950, and Zuffenhausen production started in April 1950. The last 356 C was delivered in May 1966.

What is the difference between the 356 Pre-A, A, B and C?

The original car (often called Pre-A) was replaced in September 1955 by the 356 A. The 356 B followed in September 1959, with a T6 body update in September 1961, and the 356 C arrived in September 1963 with disc brakes standard.

What is a 356 Carrera?

A Carrera is a 356 fitted with Ernst Fuhrmann's Type 547 four-cam engine, whose camshafts are driven by vertical shafts. It made 100 PS in the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera and up to 140 PS in the 356 B 2000 GS-GT Carrera 2. Fewer than 2,000 of these engines were built.

What is a Gmünd 356?

One of the 52 cars (44 coupes and 8 cabriolets) hand-built with aluminum bodies in Gmünd, Austria, between 1948 and 1950, before production moved to Zuffenhausen.

Related Porsche specials and race cars

Porsche history, specs and production research

Sources

Dates, production counts, specifications and results on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.

  1. Porsche has been manufacturing in Zuffenhausen for 75 years — Porsche Newsroom
  2. Made in Austria — Porsche Newsroom
  3. The Porsche story 4 — Porsche Newsroom
  4. Model 356 A | Porsche USA — Porsche
  5. Model 356 B | Porsche USA — Porsche
  6. Model Overview 356 | Porsche Classic | Porsche International — Porsche
  7. Model 356 C | Porsche USA — Porsche
  8. Porsche Historical Background: 1948-2025 — Porsche Cars North America (Porsche Newsroom)
  9. The fantastic Fuhrmann — Porsche Newsroom
  10. The world is a disc — Porsche Newsroom

Independent reference published by CarWhere — not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Porsche, 911, Carrera and Speedster are trademarks of their owner.