Porsche 356 A 1600 Super

The vehicle in detail

Specification

T2 body, 75 horsepower, 1,582cc OHV air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with dual Zenith 32 carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with laminated torsion bars, parallel trailing arms, and tubular shock absorbers, independent rear swing axles with torsion bars and tubular shock absorbers, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 82.7 in.

History

Porsche has the Speedster to thank for their success in the United States. But there was the luxury version was called the 356A Convertible available for nearly $1,000 more, which included a padded headliner, reclining front seats, rear seat bench, clock, glove box, the cigarette lighter, dash light, side vent windows & roll-up windows.

It could be argued that Porsche sales might not have ever taken off in the fiercely competitive U.S. market. Boasting creature comforts with excellent driving characteristics, it helped cement Porsche’s reputation in the United States and earned it a hugely desirable portion of the sports car market at a time when the motto of most British marques was “export or die.”