1948-1965

Porsche 356

Porsche's first production sports-car family, spanning the original 356 through the A, B, and C evolutions.

Generations & model years

Chassis codes remain prominent for experienced owners; plain-language names and complete model-year ranges keep the catalog approachable.

  1. 01
    Original 356 / Pre-A

    The earliest 356 sports cars, from the first Gmund-built cars through the models now commonly called Pre-A.

    356 / Pre-A1948-1955
  2. 02
    356 A

    The 356 A development introduced the factory's first formal letter-series designation and T1/T2 running changes.

    356 A1956-1959
  3. 03
    356 B

    The 356 B combined T5 and T6 body developments with a broad range of coupe, cabriolet, roadster, and performance variants.

    356 B1960-1963
  4. 04
    356 C

    The final 356 generation, including C and SC models, added four-wheel disc brakes before production ended in 1965.

    356 C1964-1965

References

Source links and notes for the figures and claims on this page.

  1. factory document
    Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster product history

    States that 76,302 Porsche 356 vehicles were built before production ended in April 1965.

  2. factory document
    Porsche Klassik - 912 and 356, a sensitive transition

    Reports 30,745 original 912s built from 1965 through 1969 and 16,668 356 C Coupes built from 1963 through 1965.

  3. factory document
    Porsche Classic ORIGINALE 06 model overview

    Publishes model-series or generation totals for the 356, 911, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, and 986 Boxster, with stated model-year ranges.

  4. factory document
    Porsche Cars North America historical background

    States that 77,361 Porsche 356 vehicles were built during the model's 17-year production run.

  5. factory document
    75 years of Porsche sports car production in Zuffenhausen

    States that approximately 78,000 Porsche 356 vehicles were produced by 1965; retained alongside conflicting Porsche-published totals.