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1950 Porsche 356
flat four cylinder, displacement (bore * stroke) 1.086 cm3 (73,5 mm * 64,0 mm), 1.286 cm3 (80,0 mm * 64,0 mm), 1.488 cm3 (80,0 mm *
74,0 mm), compression ratio, 7,0 : 1, 6,5 : 1, 7,0 : 1, engine control ohv, fan cooling, 70 Nm at 2800 rpm, 81 Nm at 2500 rpm, 102 Nm at 3000 rpm, performance 29 kW (40 HP) at 4200 rpm,
32 kW (44 HP) at 4200 rpm, 60 kW (60 HP) at 4400 rpm, rear engine, rear drive, manual four-speed, wheelbase 2.100 mm, front suspension, crank handle, torsion bar spring, telescopic
damper, rear suspension, pivot axle, torsion bar spring, telescopic damper, brakes, drums, 230 mm, steering, spindle, wheels, 5.00 - 16, length 3.880 mm, width 1.660 mm, height 1.300 mm,
kerb weight 745-830/810-830* kg + driver, 140 km/h, 145 km/h, 160 km/h, purchase price, - , 10.200 DM (1952), manufactured, 1950 - 1954, *Convertible.
It quickly became clear that while a mid-engine Porsche would indeed be very sporty, but it would also be quite impractical and, with a tubular frame, quite expensive as well. That is why,
starting in 1950, we go back to the beginning. One returned from Gmünd, Austria, to Stuttgart, where Porsche had already been operating as an engineering firm since 1931.
Since the factory was occupied by the Americans at the time, they moved into the Reutter carroceries factory across the street, which they later took over. The number ‘356’ refers to the
somewhat inexact project management numbering system of the original company. The VW Beetle should be in there somewhere too.
These first steel 356s from Stuttgart would later be classified as part of the 'Pre-A' series. That said, the 1100 model from the first two years is actually quite powerful, with 12 kW (16 hp) more
than the model from which it is derived. The VW Beetle didn't achieve that until the 1300 model in 1965. The first models also do not yet have an oil filter and therefore a larger oil capacity.
The Porsche even has a bore that is 0.5 mm smaller in order to stay under 1,100 cm³ in the sports class, though it features a roller-bearing crankshaft. And the two carburetors with the
modified intake system have been part of the setup from the very beginning. The Pre-A can be identified by the crease in the windshield, which was initially two-piece but later became one-
piece.
The production figures show how difficult production conditions were: approximately 370 in the first, still incomplete year of 1950, a good 1,200 in 1951, about 1,250 in 1952, nearly 2,000 in 1953, about 1,350 in
1954, and 2,450 in 1955, a total of just over 8,620. By the end of 1951, the company already had over 200 employees. The initial purchase price is said to have been just under 10,000 DM.
Although the bumpers are well integrated into the front and rear, the pre-A models are clearly recognizable by their narrow track width relative to the body; the wheels do not fill out the fenders sufficiently. A
characteristic feature of the first model year: small round turn signals are located above rectangular taillights. In 1952, the convertible was fitted with a larger rear window.
The first series features the Beetle's longitudinally split, unsynchronized transmission, which was later replaced by a transversely split transmission with Porsche synchronization. The 1.5-liter engine debuted
in the convertible in 1951; the 1500 S version even delivered 51 kW (70 hp), and a 1300 S version with 44 kW (60 hp) was also introduced. Starting in late 1954, the two-piece VW crankcases were replaced by
three-piece versions; models with a displacement of 1.3 liters or more featured a forged plain-bearing crankshaft.
Below you can see one of the 356's drawbacks: the small front trunk. That’s where custom-made bags and suitcases come in handy. In the very early versions, a slatted rack was also required in the trunk
because the front hood was prone to leaks.
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