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Porsche 356/2
Porsche 356/2
Overview
ManufacturerPorsche
Also calledPorsche Gmund
Production
  • 1948–1951 (~61 produced)
  • Coupe: 42
  • Cabriolet: 8
  • Renn-Coupe: 11
Assembly
DesignerFerry Porsche, Erwin Komenda
Body and chassis
ClassSports car
Body style2-door Coupe and Cabriolet
LayoutRear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout
Doors2
RelatedPorsche 356/1, 356 Pre-A,
Powertrain
Engine
  • 1131 cc Type 366
  • 1086 cc Type 369
  • 1488 cc Type 502
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,100 mm (82.7 in)
Length3,880 mm (152.8 in)
Width1,666 mm (65.6 in)
Height1,300 mm (51.2 in)
Chronology
PredecessorPorsche 356/1
SuccessorPorsche 356
356/2-020 Porsche Automuseum Helmut Pfeifhofer Gmund
356/2-009 Porsche Museum Stuttgart 2009
356/2-009 Porsche Museum Stuttgart 2009

The Porsche 356/2, produced in Gmünd, Austria, was the first iteration of the Porsche 356 sports car. Produced between 1948 and 1951, the Porsche 356/2 was the first series production aluminum bodied sports car of Porsche after the creation of the 356-001 one-off prototype in Gmund Austria.[1] It was built in limited numbers, making it a highly sought-after collector's item today.[1][2]

The Porsche 356/2 was designed by Ferry Porsche and Erwin Komenda, and was based on components from the Volkswagen Beetle. The car was built using lightweight aluminum body panels and a welded steel box chassis with integrated floorplan, which helped to keep its weight low and provide nimble handling. The flat-four engine, which was also based on the Volkswagen Beetle, provided lively performance and was mounted in the rear of the car.

The exterior design of the Porsche 356/2 featured a sloping hood, rounded fenders, and a streamlined profile. The car was available in both a coupé and cabriolet body style, and the interior was designed to be functional, with a simple dashboard and instrument panel. The car was also equipped with large windows, providing excellent visibility.

One of the defining features of the Porsche 356/2 produced in Gmünd was its hand-built construction. Each car was built by a small team of craftsmen, and each car was given its own unique character and attention to detail.[1]

The Porsche 356/2 was a popular choice for racing and rally events, and many early Porsche racing drivers cut their teeth in this car. The car's nimble handling and quick acceleration made it well suited to the demands of competition driving, and the car's success on the track helped to establish Porsche's reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance sports cars.[3][4]

About 32 aluminum bodied Porsche 356 cars are still in existence, including the 356-001 roadster prototype in the Porsche museum.

First 50 Cars

[edit]

Only limited information exists about this post war period of the company based in Gmund. Herbert Kaes, nephew of Ferdinand Porsche, produced an overview of the first 50 cars in 1951 which is still available in the Porsche company archives and has been published in several publications.[1][5][3] Out of the first 52 chassis, 50 cars are known to have been produced in Austria. Some chassis numbers are missing in this list, most likely they were used for testing and possible never received a body or they might have been used for repairing another damaged chassis. Initially the coupe bodies where produced by Porsche employees, but as they could not keep up with chassis production Porsche also started to outsource body production to Tatra, Kastenhofer and Keibl in Vienna. Convertible versions where produced by Beutler, Kastenhofer and Keibl. In 1950 the porsche company was moved to Stuttgart and production of the steel-bodied 356 pre-A started. Production in Gmund was halted and some of the remaining chassis and bodies where assembled by Porsche Salzburg.

The list shows all chassis numbers with the engine and body number. The chassis where produced and placed in storage on the side of the production hall, final assembly started with a completed body and a chassis chosen on top of a stack of finished chassis, so the body number gives a better representation of the chronological order of production.[4] The engine numbers give a good indication of the origin of the engine. Initially Volkswagen sourced engines where used with "356" added in front of the number. At a certain point Porsche used its own engines which is visible through the low engine numbers starting with number 10 in chassis 356/2-008. Body numbers of the coupe's are listed as 557/xx for the Gmund built versions, except for the versions with a Wx suffix, and 806/xx which are generally believed to be Tatra built bodies.

Chassis Number Body style Engine Number Body Number Body Builder Final Assembly Date First Customer Remarks
356/2-001 Coupe 356-6-020199 Gmünd Gmünd 08/06/1948 v. Senger, Zurich
356/2-002 Cabriolet 356-6-021343 100 Beutler Beutler 08/06/1948 v. Senger, Zurich Scrapped[6]
356/2-003 Cabriolet 356-6-014106 101 Beutler Beutler 28/10/1949 v. Senger, Zurich, Graf Ladislaus Almasy Restored[6]
356/2-004 Coupe 356-6-014109 356/K2 Kastenhofer Gmünd 28/12/1948 v. Senger, Zurich Restored[7]
356/2-005 Coupe 356-6-020896 557/3 (W1) Tatra Gmünd 21/02/1949 Helmuth Walter, Marchtrenk, Austria
356/2-006 Coupe 356-6-063663 557/6 (W8) Tatra Gmünd 07/03/1949 Günther Pekarek
356/2-007 Coupe 356-7-037315 557/4 (W2) Tatra Gmünd 16/02/1949 Dipl.Ing Günther Vorführungswagen
356/2-008 Coupe 356-1-000010 356/K2 Kastenhofer Gmünd 27/12/1948 v. Senger, Zurich Restored
356/2-009 Coupe 356-2-040673 557/7 Gmünd Gmünd 07/03/1949 Aschauer, Goisern-Günther Restored
356/2-010 Coupe 356-1-026857 557/5 Gmünd Gmünd 12/01/1949 Porsche Vorführungswagen

Dr. Piech

Rebuilt
356/2-011 Coupe 356-2-000029 557/21 Gmünd Gmünd 17/11/1949 Martin Pichler, Aschach a.d. D.O.Ö, Austria
356/2-012 Coupe 356-1-102845 557/8 Gmünd Gmünd 09/03/1949 Franz Walek,Vienna, Austria
356/2-013 Coupe 356-1-000019 557/10 Gmünd Gmünd 03/1949 Meyer's heirs, Schruns, Austria
356/2-014 Coupe 1-000016 557/9 Gmünd Gmünd 09/03/1949 Robert Mayer, Wien, Austria Restored[7]
356/2-015 Coupe 356-1-000021 557/11 Gmünd Gmünd 29/03/1949 Autohaus Liewers, Vienna Austria
356/2-016 Coupe 356-1-000018 557/12 (W3) Tatra Gmünd 22/04/1949 Fritz Reisch, Kufstein, Austria Restored
356/2-017 Coupe 356-1-000030 557/19 Gmünd Gmünd 28/06/1949 Dr. Ernst Henschel, Vienna Austria Restored[2][7]
356/2-018 Coupe 356-1-000024 557/17 Gmünd Gmünd 14/06/1949 Dr. Fritz Degerdon, Feldkirch Austira
356/2-019 Coupe 356-2-000028 557/20 Gmünd Gmünd 14/06/1949 Ing. Hruschka, Turin, Italy
356/2-020 Coupe 356-1-000022 557/13 (W5) Tatra Gmünd 06/1949 Dr. F. Schindler-Paulus, Kennelbach, Austria Porsche Automuseum Helmut Pfeifhofer Gmund[8]
356/2-021 Cabriolet 356-1-000023 104 Beutler Beutler 29/04/1949 Switzerland Scrapped[6] Engine re-used in 022
356/2-022 Coupe 356-1-000023 557/18 Gmünd Gmünd 14/06/1949 Dr. F. Müller, Feldkirch Austria Prototype Museum Hamburg
356/2-023 Coupe 356-1-000025 557/14 (W4) Tatra Gmünd 06/05/1949 Dipl.ing Günter, Linz, Austria
356/2-024 Cabriolet 356-1-000015 103 Beutler Beutler 29/10/1949 Dr. ?, Bern, Switzerland Scrapped[6]
356/2-025 Cabriolet 356-1-102835 C/1 Keibl 11/02/1949 Dr. René Jaeger, Vienna, Austria Porsche Museum
356/2-026 Cabriolet 356-1-000011 C/2 Kastenhofer Mautner Markhoff, Vienna, Austria
356/2-027 Coupe 356-1-000026 557/16 Gmünd Gmünd 15/06/1949 Ing. Franz Friedwagner Murau Austria
356/2-028 Cabriolet 356-1-000014 102 Beutler Beutler 17/06/1949 Scrapped[6]
356/2-029 Coupe 356-1-000020 557/15 (W6) Tatra Gmünd 1949 Josef Müller, Gmünd, Austria
356/2-030 Cabriolet 356-1-000012 105 Beutler Beutler 30/08/1949 Scrapped[6]
356/2-031 Coupe 356-2-000027 557/22 Salzburg 12/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-032 Coupe 356-2-000036 806/28 Tatra Salzburg 12/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists[9]
356/2-033 Coupe 356-2-000032 557/23 (W?) Tatra Salzburg 06/1950 S.Exz. Mohammed Taher Pascha, Cairo, Egypt
356/2-034 Coupe 356-2-000037 806/29 Tatra Salzburg 12/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-035 Coupe 356-2-000031 557/24 (W?) Tatra Salzburg 16/06/1950 S.K.H. Prinz Abdel Moneim, Heliopolis, Egypt
356/2-036 Coupe 356-2-000034 557/25 Salzburg 16/06/1950 Autohous Ebner, Vienna, Austria
356/2-037 Coupe 356-2-000035 557/27 Salzburg 16/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-038 Coupe 356-2-000038 806/30 Tatra Salzburg 16/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-039 Coupe 356-2-000033 557/26 Salzburg 16/06/1950 Scania Vabis
356/2-040 Coupe 356-V-000003 - Gmünd Gmünd 1950 Otto Mathé Original condition, private collection USA[1]
356/2-041 Coupe 356-2-000040 806/31 Tatra Salzburg 12/06/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-042 Coupe 356-2-000039 806/32 Tatra Salzburg 12/06/1950 Scania Vabis
356/2-043 Coupe 356-2-000041 806/33 Tatra Salzburg 18/07/1950 Scania Vabis
356/2-044 Coupe 356-2-000042 806/34 Tatra Salzburg 11/05/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-045 Coupe 356-2-000043 806/35 Tatra Salzburg 18/07/1950 Scania Vabis Restored[9]
356/2-047 Coupe 356-2-000045 806/36 Tatra Salzburg 18/07/1950 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-048 Coupe 356-2-000044 806/37 Tatra Salzburg 16/11/1950 Scania Vabis
356/2-049 Coupe 356-2-000047 806/39 Tatra Salzburg 15/02/1951 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-050 Coupe 356-2-000046 806/38 Tatra Salzburg 20/03/1951 Scania Vabis Exists
356/2-052 Coupe 356-2-000048 806/41 Tatra Salzburg 09/02/1951 Otto Mathé Exists

The race cars

[edit]
Porsche 356SL 356/2-059, Restored state at the Porsche Museum Stuttgart in 2022
Porsche 356SL 356/2-059, Restored state with #46 LeMans livery at the Porsche Museum Stuttgart in 2009

About 63 chassis have been produced in total out of which about 50 cars have been fully assembled and finished in Austria. The remaining unfinished chassis with Tatra bodies where shipped to Stuttgart and used for the factory and customer racing cars based on the type 514 design, also known as the 356SL. Final assembly was performed at either Reutter, Dannenhauer or the Porsche Stuttgart Werk.[4] The 356SL cars show some inconsistencies because bodies and chassis have been combined whole or in part after crashes and exported car chassis have been renumbered to the 300x/A range. This allowed for the re-use of chassis numbers which prevented the need for new registration and customs paperwork. For instance chassis number 356/2-055 has been re-used at least twice. These cars also have been equipped with various engines because the engines where replaced after a race or before they were sold, so the original first engine numbers are not known. The list below has been assembled based on documents from the Porsche archive which contain detailed chassis and body numbers when Porsche ordered final assembly and modifications at Reutter as wel as from various publications on the many cars still in existence. The 11 or 12 Stutgart cars have been produced and modified over a period of 2 years. 4 cars where initially built for the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 2 cars where prepared for private entry into various races making them the first dedicated customer racing cars from Porsche. After several crashes an extra car was prepared for 1951 Le Mans.[4] Another 4 where built for the 1952 racing season.

Original Chassis Number Current Chassis Number Body Number Date First Customer Remarks
356/2-05? 058 plate & 055 stamped 806/40 1952 Private collection USA
356/2-053 1951 Destroyed during a test at Le Mans in April 1951[10]
356/2-054 3001/A plate 806/42 1951 Max Hoffman Waiting for restoration in Mexico
356/2-055 3003/A plate 806/43 1951 Max Hoffman Private collection USA[4]
356/2-056 063 stamped &

3002/A plate

806/44 1951 Max Hoffman Private collection USA[11]
356/2-057 806/45 1951 Private customer Private collection USA
356/2-058 1952
356/2-059 356/2-055 1952 Porsche Museum
356/2-060 1952 crashed and destroyed in an accident at the Bol d'Or, in Montlhéry on June 8, 1952
356/2-061 3004/A plate 09/01/1952 D'Ieteren, Brussels, Belgium Undergoing restoration in Belgium[12]
356/2-062 1952 Disappeared after the 1953 Carrera Panamericana
356/2-063 806/49 1951 Crashed on the Autobahn while returning to Stuttgart from a test session at Zandvoort in June 1951[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Ludvigsen, Karl E. (2012). Porsche : origin of the species. Cambridge, MA: Bentley. ISBN 978-0-8376-1331-4. OCLC 740250657.
  2. ^ a b Leffingwell, Randy (1 January 2014). Porsche Unexpected: Discoveries in Collecting. Coachbuilt Press. ISBN 978-0-9882-7333-7.
  3. ^ a b Conradt, Dirk-Michael (1993). Porsche 356. Indianapolis, IN: Beeman Jorgensen. ISBN 0-929758-09-9. OCLC 31320493.
  4. ^ a b c d e Maltby, Gordon (2023). 75th Anniversary Porsche 356. Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. ISBN 978-0-7603-7737-6.
  5. ^ Carney, Phil (January 2011). "The Aluminium 356 Cars". Porsche 356 Registry. 34 (5).
  6. ^ a b c d e f Beigner, Uwe (May 1997). "The Beutler-Porsche". Porsche 356 Registry. 21 (1).
  7. ^ a b c Marinello, Marco (25 January 2013). "Ur-Ahn aller Porsche". Auto Motor und Sport. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. ^ Pritchard, Robb (February 28, 2019). "Ghosts of Gmünd". Excellence | the Magazine About Porsche (263).
  9. ^ a b West, Ted (June 26, 2012). "Pure Joy: 356/2-045". Excellence | the Magazine About Porsche (203).
  10. ^ a b Frankenberg, Richard Alexander von, Freiherr (1965). Porsche: the man and his cars (1st ed.). Motoraces Book Club. ISBN 0-85429-090-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Wagenblatt, Bill (2023). Forty Six: The Birth of Porsche Motorsport. Dalton Watson Fine Books. ISBN 9781956309010.
  12. ^ "Porsche356sl.com - Acceuil - Choix de langue - Un site par jacques Mertens". www.porsche356sl.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Wagenblatt, Bill, ed. (2023). Forty Six: The Birth of Porsche Motorsport. Deerfield, IL, USA: Dalton Watson Fine Books. ISBN 9781956309010.


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