1953 Porsche 356 – First Arrival

The Porsche 356 is really the car that “started it all” for the iconic Porsche marque. Manufactured between 1948 and 1965, the Porsche 356 is the automobile that allowed the company to develop. This car is responsible for starting the world’s love affair with rear-engined machines. These rear-engined cars remain as popular with people today as ever before. The 356 is the car that took the Porsche marque from humble beginnings to that of an iconic manufacturer. Versions of the 356 car competed at Le Mans and started the marque’s love affair with the famous 24-hour race. This love affair will start all over again for the company this year, when two factory-supported LMP1-specification 919 cars will compete at La Sarthe in the 2014 Grand Prix d’Endurance.

A CAR IS BORN

The Type 356 can be regarded as the first real Porsche sports car. Prior to the outbreak of World War ll, Porsche designed and built three Type 64 cars for the Berlin to Roma race—but this event was cancelled due to the outbreak of European hostilities. After the war, Porsche built a mid-engined, tubular-chassis car, called “No. 1”—this car was the prototype 356. The car is considered by the marque, and its enthusiasts, to be the first production example.

Created by Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, the 356, like its vehicular cousin, the Volkswagen Beetle, was a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. The car’s chassis was a completely new design with its body conceived by Porsche employee, Erwin Komenda. With some parts sourced from VW, the first 356 rolled off the production line and was road registered in Austria on June 8, 1948.

Porsche quickly re-engineered and refined the car, aiming it at the performance market, and as cars were produced throughout the 1950s, fewer and fewer mutual components were shared between Porsche and VW. Originally constructed in Gmünd in Austria, the build of the cars switched to Zuffenhausen in Germany in 1950, with the bodies of these cars constructed in steel, rather than the early prototype aluminum examples.

Looking every inch a racing car, early 356 cars were sold predominantly in Austria and Germany, and it took a couple of years for the marque to manufacture and sell its first 50 examples. Gaining popularity and renown for its aerodynamics, handling and superb build quality, the car began to grow in stature and its reputation was further enhanced in 1951 when Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche, driving a Porsche AG-entered 1.1-liter 356, finished 20th overall and won their class at Le Mans. Success on the track further boosted sales. The car, either in near-stock or modified trim, competed in many international events in addition to Le Mans, including the Buenos Aires 1000K, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Carrera Panamericana.

The 356 became an icon, with a huge following. Owners clubs exist around the world, and many remember nostalgically that Rebel Without a Cause actor James Dean once owned a 356 Speedster—although he was not driving it at the time of his death in 1955 as is commonly thought. By then, he had traded his 356 for a later model 550 Spyder. Throughout the Porsche 356’s production life, more than 76,000 examples were produced!

TREND SETTER 

In 1953, Ferry Porsche signed an agreement with the Aldington family and appointed AFN Porsche (London) Limited as sole concessionaires for Porsche cars in the UK, based at their Falcon Works premises in London Road, Isleworth.

Chassis number 51552 arrived in the UK with the newly appointed Porsche dealership at the end of 1953. It was the first right-hand-drive (RHD) example exported to Britain, and it became the first officially supplied RHD specification car sold by Charles Meisl on behalf of AFN on January 29, 1954. Purchased by Edward T. Woolley for £1,974 10s 0d, #51552 is the earliest entry in the original AFN stock book. Despite the first sale, Porsche 356 cars did not fly out of the showroom door! The second car handled by AFN was not sold until May 1954.

Finished in Ivory to right-hand-drive specification, this Porsche 356 Pre-A Coupe was also among the very first Porsches to be seen in competition. Ted Woolley, a well-known member of the Vintage Sports Car Club (VSCC), was also a member of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC), and as a result the car quickly found its way onto the circuits of Britain.

Woolley raced the car from the moment he took delivery of the machine, and was regularly seen on-track at places such as Silverstone and Goodwood. On August 14, 1954, Woolley won the Production Car race at Silverstone in #51552 outright, a memorable performance at the venue that just a handful of weeks earlier had hosted a British Grand Prix won by the Ferrari 625 of Froilan Gonzalez. Racing in this event as number 56, Woolley drove in the up-to-2300-cc class, and was reported as victor and photographed as such in copies of numerous British motoring magazines. During the season Woolley was also regularly seen in West Sussex at Goodwood, and also took to the European roads in the Rallye Soleil Cannes—an event that still runs today as a historic stage rally—and other events.

During the following two years, Woolley, who also won two George Medals for gallantry while serving with the RNVR (Royal Navy Voluntary Reserve) during WWII, continued to race the car extensively. Silverstone, scene of his 1954 Production Car success, became a popular venue—the high-speed track suiting the little Porsche. A blast along the seafront at Brighton in the Brighton Speed Trials at the 1956 event was also undertaken, and during the time Woolley and #51552 competed the driver/car combination accumulated many trophies. The association was often as not successful in whichever race or rally they appeared.

MOVING ON 

Chassis #51552 changed hands in 1974 when it was bought by Cheshire-based Peter Frodsham, and during the next few years was sold and purchased a number of times, all of which are well documented. During the 1980s, the car was once again acquired by AFN with a view to fully restoring this important piece of Porsche history. However, it became apparent that the car had deteriorated quite badly over its 30-odd-year history, and it was in need of a specialist’s rebuild in order to save it. AFN sold the car to Roger Bray, one of the world’s top Porsche 356 restorers, who embarked on painstaking work to return the car to its former glory. This work took over five years, and once complete the car was sold to an owner in Twickenham before it passed into the hands of an Australian collector.

Leaving UK ownership for the very first time, #51552 made its way around the globe to Sydney, where it enjoyed a new lease of life with Bruce Goddard. During this time the car was invited to race at the famous Goodwood Revival, and in 2008 it was transported back to England where it took part in the Fordwater Trophy. Listed in the Goodwood paperwork to be driven by New Zealand racer Neil Cunningham, #51552 actually lined up at The Revival with well-known historic racer Gary Pearson at the wheel. Cunningham was forced to withdraw from driving the Porsche after a clashing commitment with the Beechdean Aston Martin GT squad in the Silverstone 24-hour race.

In 2011, Mike Burtt commissioned Maxted-Page Limited to acquire the car in Australia and arrange for it to be re-imported into the UK. Once this had been achieved the car was given to Maxted-Page & Prill Limited in order for them to fully rebuild the car mechanically and prepare it to the latest specifications required for regular use in historic racing. The car’s 1600-cc engine was rebuilt and fitted with the best components available, including a SCAT crank, Carrillo rods, Shasta pistons and Nuetek cams. The gearbox was also stripped and fully rebuilt to feature a special, short-ratio setup with limited-slip differential and a brake bias control.

The car was also fitted with a pair of original 60-mm, GT front brake drums with a twin brake-cylinder system, GT race dampers, and Recaro race seats with five-point harnesses. A rear roll hoop, built-in fire extinguisher system, safety fuel tank and many other special upgrades and features that are found on a small number of special Porsche 356 Pre-A Coupes similarly prepared and developed by Maxted-Prill and Page, were also added to conform to FIA Appendix K regulations. These additions do not, though, detract from the car’s obvious originality and charm. Chassis #51552 retains all of its original beauty and many features, such as its almost unique early dashboard with instrument “eyebrows,” interior trim, original bumpers, collection of bumper badges and special, mounted spotlights—not to mention Ted Woolley’s ashtray (as he was a keen pipe smoker).

In Burtt’s hands the car has once again become a regular on the race tracks of Britain and Europe, and most recently has been seen at the Donington Historic Festival in the Pre-’63 GT race, at Silverstone Classic in the Historic-running of the RAC Tourist Trophy and last June at Le Mans in the Le Mans Legends event that took place just a matter of hours before the start of the 90th anniversary 24-hour race.

Chassis #51552 moved on from Burtt at the end of 2013, with the car now regarded as one of the finest Porsche 356 Pre-A competition cars anywhere in the world. Road registered, with full FIA HTP race paperwork, this car, I am sure, will be enjoyed by owners and spectators attending international historic racing events for many years to come.

TIME TO DRIVE

Driving a competition car at Silverstone, “The Home of British Motor Racing” is always a special occasion. The Northamptonshire track is steeped in history and the venue has hosted racing events since October 1948—the year the Porsche 356 appeared for the very first time.

Sixty-five years on I was to be given the chance to get behind the wheel of one of the prettiest little sports racing coupes ever produced. However, for my driving experience I would not be racing around the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, but instead I would be given exclusive use of the private test track operated by Porsche Cars, their Porsche Experience Centre.

Porsche has constructed a plush “Welcome Centre” at Silverstone that houses the operational side of the Experience Centre. Located alongside the circuit’s Hangar Straight, the building appears professional and well-appointed to the visitor—just as you would expect from anything Porsche. The building houses a small museum of cars, past and present, and on its first floor a very nice viewing area and dining area that looks out over the main Silverstone circuit and the purpose-built circuit that plays host to all Porsche Experience Centre driving.

In the late 1990s Silverstone constructed a RallySprint arena, called The Roger Clark Circuit. This two-lane rally track was used for a series of RallySprint competitions and also stages of the British round of the FIA World Rally Championship (Rally GB) when it was known as the Network Q Rally. Silverstone’s rallying boom didn’t last long, and the piece of real estate soon fell into disrepair and became a forgotten part of the 850-odd-acre Silverstone estate. That was until Porsche appeared.

Signing a deal with the circuit-owning BRDC, Porsche undertook construction of its Experience Centre that would play host to many performance driving courses, all adding to the pleasure of owning one of the latest high-performance Porsche road cars. The Roger Clark Circuit, once covered with gravel and including water splashes and a cross-over section, was redesigned. Tarmac replaced the gravel, water splashes were removed, barriers realigned and the area landscaped.

The track was renamed as The Handling Circuit, and it now replicates a typical British “B” road. It allows the driver to gain full benefit from his or her driving experience, and proved to be ideal for my run in the 356, although Silverstone’s moist morning air did try its best to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm slightly.

Although the sun would not shine, when the time came for me to drive #51552 the weather had improved and the Porsche Handling Circuit had dried, so I would be able to sample the car—and one of Porsche’s latest GT offerings—on a dry circuit, and for that I was pleased!

Standing proudly under the Porsche sign outside of the facility’s main entrance, I must admit I was pretty excited to be handed the keys to such a historic car, a real, true Porsche treasure. Mike Burtt sat in alongside me to run through the dials and cockpit instruments—including pointing out Ted Woolley’s bespoke ashtray. I thanked Mike for this, but assured him I wouldn’t be smoking a pipe during my “profiling” of the car!

“The engine really revs,” Mike told me. “You should really chase the revs and you will see how the engine pulls. It really is good!”

I took notice of what he said and made a mental note that revving the engine was possible, although as in any track or road test one has to be very careful when doing such things. Safety of the car is always paramount.

Adjusting the seat to suit my driving position, I snapped the five-point safety belts into position. Tightening the belts, I pulled my Bell Classic helmet on and fastened it before reaching for my gloves and then the starter! What a delight, the little engine barked beautifully as I blipped the throttle. The exhaust gave a lovely rasp and as I watched the dials to familiarize myself with them, I revelled in the exhaust note that sounded great—and just got better!

Selecting first gear, I let the clutch out and the Porsche rolled forward. A good tug on the tall gear lever found second gear as I was waved out onto The Handling Circuit.

PORSCHE CURVES  

Porsche road cars are, if I can use the word, “nice,” but Porsche racing cars are “special.” There is something great about watching a Porsche at full speed and as I write this piece I recall the enjoyment I have had watching Porsche cars in action at tracks around the world. “Moby Dick,” Porsche 935, Porsche 936, Porsche 956, Porsche 962, the 911 and its derivatives the list goes on and on…

And so I was really chuffed to be handed the chance to drive this history-making RHD 356 example. Already in 2013 I had been able to race a front-engined Porsche belonging to Jakob Ebrey, at Silverstone, in a Motor Sport Vision Racing (MSVR) Trackday Trophy event, and now a few weeks later here I was driving something carrying the same badge but with slightly more historical importance.

Revving the car, as Mike had suggested, I headed toward the first series of corners on The Handling Circuit. After a long right-hander, the track descended downhill to the left and into a tightening left-hand bend. Turning the car in I kept the 356 in second gear and as I accelerated away from the corner and up a hill I snatched third. The car capably dealt with the gear change as I then blipped the throttle to come back across the gate and into second for the next series of bends.

I remember thinking to myself that the car felt like a “big kart.” The handling was nimble and the car changed direction quickly and with ease. Not once did I feel it was going to “step out” and get away from me, it instilled huge confidence, and for a driver that is always really reassuring. Pressing on I accelerated along the short back straight of the circuit before turning through the long and wide final hairpin to start another lap. Reading documentation since my drive, the 356 has always been loved by drivers for its superb handling and I can vouch for that. The car was so very stable, very neutral with not a hint of oversteer creeping into the equation.

Familiar with the car, I accelerated harder straight away and the Porsche barked keenly as the revs grew. I took the opportunity to heel-and-toe the pedals and keep the revs higher on down changes, and this increased the car’s speed on entry and exit from the corners. I tried to imagine what it would be like to experience the car around the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit or the Circuit de la Sarthe. I came to the conclusion that it would feel like a lot of fun, and as I motored along the back straight once again I began to believe I was on the run out of Tetre Rouge toward the first Mulsanne Chicane!

The car’s period dash and dials added much to the driving pleasure. All easily readable, the car’s narrow aperture windscreen was also likeable. I have noted in previous profiles that I enjoy driving cars with this type of screen. I think the fact that it makes the driver feel as if they really are “sitting in” the car. I can tell you that I enjoyed sitting in this car!

As I pushed on, I was able to explore the car’s capabilities further. The brakes felt solid, although around the Porsche Handling Circuit I was not required to work them too hard. The little engine revved well, but I was able to slow the car sufficiently through the gears with only a dab or two on the brakes when required. The pedal was firm and I think, at speed, would have held up well under competition pressure. The 60-mm brake drums worked well enough for me—certainly aided by the twin brake-cylinder system.

Exiting the corners, the car wished to be urged along—as Mike had intimated to me when I climbed aboard to start my test runs. The car liked to be pushed, and so felt keen and eager. With some good use of the right foot, #51552 pulled strongly out of the corners, displaying good torque in second and third gears. After another half dozen laps, my time in Porsche 356 #51552 was up. Pulling off of the track I drove the car back to the front of the Porsche building and switched it off. As I unfastened my crash helmet and took it off, Mike opened the door and leaned in. “What did you think?” he asked eagerly. He wasn’t disappointed with my response!

This RHD Porsche has a mighty fine history and really is a great car. I don’t want to say it is perfect, because I have said that before and lived to regret it! No it is not, as no car can ever be perfect, and that is what keeps today’s designers hard at work. To some drivers this Porsche 356 might not tick all the boxes. For some it might not be fast enough, powerful enough or simply just enough, but it is highly enjoyable. A driver can have huge fun in a car like this. You have to work hard to get the best out of it, and that is great fun. You can’t just sit back and enjoy a high-speed ride, you have to work at it and that offers sheer pleasure—and you have to remember that this car is the one that started it all for Porsche! The 356 enjoyed a great career, and this very example was the first RHD example to make it to the UK. It enjoyed outings on the road and, more importantly, on the track. This is a racing Porsche, and as I said earlier, that makes a Porsche pretty “special.”

SPECIFICATIONS 

Chassis: Two-door, steel shell

Length: 3950mm

Width: 1670mm

Wheelbase: 2100mm

Brakes: 60mm GT-style drums

Engine: 1582-cc 4-cylinder, horizontally opposed

Installation: Rear-engined

Cooling: Air-cooled

Gearbox: Manual four-speed floor-mounted stick shift

Transmission: Rear axle drive

Wheels: 3.25 D x 16

Tires: 5.00-16

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/RESOURCES

The author would like to thank Mike Burtt for kindly allowing Vintage Racecar to drive this Porsche 356 to profile in this issuee. Thanks go also to the staff of the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone Circuit, particularly Barry Horne, who was present throughout our visit to give tips and guidance about Porsche’s superb facility.

Porsche Past & Present

By Denis Jenkinson, Gentry Books, Published 1983

Porsches at Le Mans

By Dominique Pascal, Haynes Publishing, Published 1984

Great Marques – Porsche

By Chris Harvey, Octopus Books, Published 1980

Porsche – Power, Performance and Perfection

By Susann Miller, Mallard Press, Published 1992