It’s fair to say we broker a diverse range of items at Mark Littler LTD and this Porsche 356C is certainly one of the most good looking cars we have sold. The car was in a very good state of preservation as a result of the previous owners care and restoration carried out over many years. This 356C had spent a lot of its early life in the USA and was only brought over to the UK in 1992. Despite having an engine swap we achieved £48,000, a price far in excess which several classic car auctions had quoted. But what makes the Porsche 356C so iconic?
Porsche: The History of the 356C
The family business
The Porsche business was established in 1931 in Stuttgart, Germany by Ferdinand Porsche. It was originally founded as a consultancy firm for the development and design of vehicles but did not produce any cars of their own. Along with his son, Ferry Porsche, and a number of former colleagues, the firm took on some early design projects including a design for a middle-class car for manufacturer Wanderer.
In 1934, Porsche received a contract to design the Volkswagen (‘people’s car’), famously commissioned by Adolf Hitler, a cheap, mass-produced car for Germany’s new road network. The outcome was the Volkswagen Type 1, better known as the Volkswagen Beetle.
The success of the Beetle led to Porsche becoming known as the Great German Engineer and after the war the Porsche company, temporarily under Ferry Porsche, turned to motor racing. During this period Porsche created the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car, which never raced, and the Auto Union Grand Prix cars.
Porsche 356
The original 356 model was designed in 1948 and it was Porsche’s first production automobile for public purchase. From its conception in 1948, it took Porsche 2 years to build the first 50 356 cars but it quickly attracted excitement from enthusiasts both in Europe and the USA for its aerodynamics, handling, and high build quality.
The original 1948 model retailed at $3750 USD (approximately $41,000 in 2021).
In 1951 the 356 won its under 1100cc class race at Le Mans which helped increase its popularity. Due to its versatility and light handling, it was common for owners of the 356 to drive it for personal use in their daily activities and to race the car when the opportunity arose. It is not often a car can do this, more commonly being tailored to one purpose or the other.
From 1948 to 1966, the 356 proceeded to go through 3 redesigns:
- 356A
- 356B
- 356C
Each new model of the 356 that was released became more powerful and had a number of aesthetic changes. The final iteration of the Porsche 356 was the 356C.
Porsche 356C
Produced in 1963 for the 1964 model year, fewer than 17,000 of the 356C model were made. The final production was delivered in May 1966. The C model was made to replace the 356B with very few visible changes. The main visible changes were the modified rims and flatter hub caps without the Porsche crest. The hub caps were changed because the 356 was now fitted with brake disks as standard as opposed to brake drums.
The 356C saw its available engine range reduced to 3, with the 60hp variation being discontinued. The 3 options were:
- 356C 1600 (75hp) – this was the entry level engine
- 356C 1600 SC (95hp) – the most powerful pushrod engine Porsche had made
- 356C 2000 GS Carrera (130hp) – more sportive, powered by Fuhrmann engine
There were also closed and open top variations of all 356 models.
The 356C was offered in 7 standard colours and 4 special colours, including Togo Brown (#6411) which is more rare to find today.
Legacy of the 356C
Although the company replaced the 356 with the 911 model, the 356 was often favoured due to its lighter handling and it persevered particularly well in the USA even a year into 911 production.
An icon of the Porsche stable, the 356C remains a well loved sports car among collectors worldwide. Sadly, only half of the 76,313 total 356 Porsches to be produced have survived meaning that they will likely retain their cult status amongst collectors in the future.
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