1948 Porsche 356/2 Coupe

Today, everyone knows that the very first Porsche commercial car that was ever-released by the company that Ferdinand Porsche built was the Porsche 356. But very few people know-that, while this remains true, the real commercial release was actually called the Porsche 356/2-Coupe. 

Why is this so? How is the Porsche 356/2 Coupe the first Porsche commercial-release?

Although the Porsche 356 is indeed the first car created by the company and by Ferry-Porsche, the actual prototype is different from the ones released in the market. The Porsche 356/1-was the car prototype, the one that served as the basic pattern and design for the succeeding 356s.-This prototype is a mid-engine roadster and was actually driven by Ferry Porsche himself during a test drive. The Porsche-356/2 Couple, however, was a rear-engine car. It was this car that became the production model.

Because the roots of Porsche can be traced to Volkswagen, it’s not surprising-that the 356/2 Coupe used a number of Volkswagen trademarks in its design. The floor plan rigid,-making it unique to Porsche, but its front and rear suspension was unmistakably Volkswagen. This-isn’t actually a bad thing, since the suspension technology of Volkswagen was beyond its time.-The 356/2 Coupe had a 1100 cc, 40 horsepower engine that could run at more than 87 miles per-hour. 

Another distinct Volkswagen influence to the Porsche 356/2 Coupe is its power to-weight ratio. Ferry Porsche, since he paid his dues as part of the early Volkswagen company,-believed that power isn’t as important as a solid power to weight ratio. This is probably a-given, since the car weighed a hefty 1,300 pounds. It could actually be heavier - except the car’s body was made from aluminum. 

Overall, the 356/2 Coupe is simple with a touch of classic elegance. The interiors of-the car were exquisite, with parts painstakingly made detail per detail (this is actually one of the-reasons why the 356/2 Coupe was slightly more expensive compared to other coupes in the market). The-fast-back shape of the model offered very little wind resistance, although the car, thanks to its very-rugged nature, does well in rough roads. The 356/2 Coupe was well known for using quality materials,-something Porsche retained when it produced the more popular Porsche 911 several years-after.

In terms of popularity, the Porsche 356 is no match against the iconic Porsche 911.-But the 356 line survived for several years due to its high quality. There were a number of-alterations made to the Porsche - from the Speedster to the Convertible D to the Roadster to the 356 C, among many others. The fact-that the 356 survived even after the 911 was introduced to the public should be a good enough-indication that this introductory model was amazing enough to hold its own against other more well-received cars. Overall, there were more than 70,000 356s produced during its production life, half-of which are said to still exist.

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