Porsche 356
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Cameron Healey, one of many Porsche 356 fans across the globe, stumbled upon a rather lovely example in 2009. The car, converted to a Spyder and painted red, had only a single owner since 1957. Although professionals knew this particular Porsche 356 was a very early model, nothing prepared Healey for what he'd soon discover. This exact car was Porsche's first 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. This particular 356 traces its roots back to 1949, when production was in Gmünd, Austria. The first coupes were made from aluminum, but later series production in Stuttgart switched to steel for a simpler...
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Jerry Seinfeld sued for allegedly selling fake PorscheJerry Seinfeld is famous for his affinity for Porsches, but it seems even he may have been caught out by a less-than-authentic example—if a lawsuit filed against him proves genuine. Seinfeld was sued on Friday by a company based in the Channel Islands called Fica Frio, which at a 2016 auction...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche creates replica of the first 356 to mark 70th anniversary
Porsche has had a long and complicated history, and the first true Porsche is quite a hard thing to pin down—for some, it's the earliest cars designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the early 20th century. For others, it might be the striking pre-war Type 64 race car, and for others...
Jeff Glucker -
Wolfgang Porsche shares his top 5 favorite Porsches
Dr. Wolfgang Porsche is the grandson of Porsche found Ferdinand Porsche. His older brother Butzi designed the 911. Wolfgang is a competent metalworker in his own right, but he's not getting his hands dirty these days. Dr. Porsche (how cool would that look on a business card?) helps run the good...
Jeff Glucker -
Porsche marks 70 years of iconic sports cars
In 1948, the first road-going sports car from Porsche was registered: the 356. Now, 70 years later, the storied German automaker has looked back on its history and announced plans for numerous celebrations across the globe. Although Ferry Porsche turned the Porsche sports car into a reality...
Sean Szymkowski -
Jay Leno takes a look at a Porsche 356-Boxster mashup
Not just beloved among Porsche fans, the 356 remains an automotive icon to anyone who enjoys the automobile in any small way. It's a time capsule on wheels that captures the imagine of those who look upon it as it rolls past. You picture yourself, an open roof, and a curving coastal road winding...
Jeff Glucker -
Before you pull your hair out over the thought of someone ruining a Porsche 356 by swapping in a Subaru engine, note that this is a replica we’re talking about. The car belongs to Tom Murtaugh, and it’s a replica of a 1957 356 Speedster. He’s an enthusiast who’s always wanted the experience of owning a 356 but didn’t have the budget to purchase an original. Murtaugh recently presented the car on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, explaining that it’s built around the bones of a donor Volkswagen Beetle. However, instead of using the wimpy VW engine...
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Meet the grand daddy of all Porsche race cars, the 1951 356 SL Gmünd Coupe
Priceless is a word thrown around a lot these days when describing classic cars, but for this 1951 Porsche 356 SL Gmünd Coupe there really isn’t a more appropriate descriptor. It’s the first Porsche sports car developed for racing, and it’s the first to have notched up a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Here's the story behind a famous Porsche 356 with "really cool character"
Matt Hummel is not your average kind of car enthusiast, so it should come as very little surprise that his legend-in-its-own-time Porsche 356 is an especially interesting example of the rear-engined Porsche breed. Oh, did we mention that his 1956 classic is regularly exercised where only Jeeps and...
Andrew Ganz -
This documentary on building the Porsche 356 is worth your time
Although the average attention span may not be anywhere near the 40 minutes required to sit through this documentary on the Porsche 356, we highly recommend you grab a cup of coffee and make it part of your morning routine. Maybe do it every morning. The documentary, first picked up by Road &...
Andrew Ganz -
Janis Joplin's Psychedelic Porsche Heads To Amelia Concours
Last December, a rather special piece of Porsche history hit the auction block. A 1964 Porsche 356 C wearing a rather unique paint job garnered $1.8 million at the RM auction block. The previous owner was one Janis Joplin. Sadly, Joplin passed away at the age of 27 and her Porsche was rescued from...
Jeff Glucker -
Janis Joplin Porsche Fetches $1.8M At Auction, Fangio Ferrari Goes For $28M
She bought the car after seeing another prowling the hills of San Francisco. Janis Joplin found her Porsche in 1968, and she found it in Beverly Hills. The car in question is a 1964 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet, and it needed a paint job suitable to serve as the daily driver for a rock goddess. That...
Jeff Glucker -
Jay Leno is a fan of Porsche. Well, really he's a fan of pretty much every automaker under the sun, but he seems to really enjoy driving old products from Porsche. That's why he spent nearly 30 minutes chatting up both the owner and the builder of this 1964 Porsche 356C. It's been lovingly upgraded to make everyday driving an enjoyable experience. ALSO SEE: Horacio Pagani's Personal Porsche 918 Spyder: Video The engine builder is John Willhoit, who owns Willhoit Auto Restoration in Long Beach, California. His shop has been one of the go-to Porsche restoration shops since it opened back in...
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An Outlaw (And A Special) Invades Jay Leno's Garage: Video
If you know a bit about old Porsches, then you've heard of the Emory family. Neil Emory is the man responsible for the Outlaw style of old Porsche 356 coupes. Fast forward from the '60s, and his grandson Rod Emory is carrying the torch forward with Emory Motorsports. Rod's company produces...
Jeff Glucker -
Original Gmünd Porsche 356 Perspective: Video
Porsche has had a long and complicated history, and the first true Porsche is quite a hard thing to pin down--for some, it's the earliest cars designed by Ferdinand Porsche in the early 20th century. For others, it might be the striking pre-war Type 64 race car, and for others still--including...
Antony Ingram -
Meet the oldest retail Porsche in the U.S.: 1952 356 Cabriolet
Porsche is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and as part of the festivities the company set out to find the oldest surviving U.S. import. The result? A fantastically restored Strawberry Red 1952 356 Cabriolet. It's not, strictly speaking, the oldest Porsche in the U.S., but it is the oldest car...
Nelson Ireson -
Nicolas Zapata, vintage Ferrari racer, dies in Porsche 356 accident
Racing is a dangerous and occasionally deadly game, but the risk is part of what makes it so exciting. But it's sometimes the open road, not the track, that takes the lives of skilled racing drivers. The death of Nicolas Zapata is one of those cases. Zapata, a native of Mexico, vintage racer, and...
Nelson Ireson -
Porsche 356 at Goodwood Festival of Speed
This video, just uploaded to Porsche's Facebook page last night, gives us a quick primer on the 356 and its history in La Carrera Panamericana, one of the most famous of the classic endurance races. This particular car is one of the five actual cars that raced the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, making...
Nelson Ireson -
June 8th marks the 60th anniversary of the homologation and road-approval of the German maker's first sports car, and the first true Porsche prototype, a 356 known internally as 356-001. The culmination of Ferry Porsche's search for the perfect car, the 356 began what would become one of the most impressive sports car dynasties ever, though it wasn't always so clear that the company would end up a success. The company spent most of the 1950s and 1960s working to develop its motor sports programs, with some success. In 1964 the company struck on the model that would form the core of its...
