75 years after the birth of an iconic car, Porsche 356 by Gordon Maltby tells the story of Porsche's first sports car, from the Gmund coupe to the popular collector's car of today.
Ferdinand Porsche was a brilliant engineer who, prior to World War II, had been involved in a variety of significant automotive engineering developments, including the first hybrid drive vehicles.
The Typ 356 was developed by Ferdinand’s son "Ferry" Porsche and introduced in 1948. Though the rear-engine layout was based on the Volkswagen, most similarities ended there.
The 356 had a unique chassis, higher performing engine, and a handsome wind-cheating body. Little known outside Germany initially, by the early 1950s the 356s were lauded for their excellent handling, build quality, and growing volume of competition successes.
Porsche’s 356 evolved over its 17-year life through four distinct series: pre-A, A, B, and C, with coupes, cabriolets, Speedsters, Hardtops, and Roadsters among the many body variations. Equipped with the “Carrera” 4-cam engine, the 356 was a force in sports car racing.
Dedicated competition models were developed beginning in 1953, and the Rennsport Spyders dominated road racing, endurance, and hill climb events for over a decade.
The 356 story includes a cast of fascinating characters, from those engineers who designed the cars, to race drivers who built the "giant-killer" mystique, to owners like James Dean and Janis Joplin who fell in love with the little bathtub-shaped sports cars.
Porsche 356 tells the in-depth story and is a must-have book for anyone that loves Porsche and sports car history.
256 pages. Text in French.
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