VEHICLE SPOTLIGHT | 1948/2018 PORSCHE 356/1 SHOWCAR

1948/2018 PORSCHE 356/1 SHOWCAR

ENGINE: 1.1-liter flat-4
TOP SPEED: 84 mph
HORSEPOWER: 35

The 356/1 was the first sports car to bear the Porsche name and the basis for all Porsche cars that followed. Known as the “Gmünd Roadster,” the mid-engined prototype was built in Austria in early 1948 with steering, brakes, suspension, transmission, and clutch all sourced from the Volkswagen Beetle and a hand-hammered aluminum body designed by Erwin Komenda. In 2018 the Porsche Museum painstakingly created this replica of the 356/1 roadster that is true to the original in every detail and dimension, using 3-D scanning and computer modeling and referencing archival photos, drawings, and journals.

COURTESY OF Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG