Prior to World War II Porsche designed and built three Type 64 cars for a 1939 Berlin-to-Rome race that was cancelled. In 1948 the mid-engine, tubular chassis 356 prototype called "No. 1" was completed. This led to some debate

Porsche designers decided to build the 356's air-cooled pushrod OHV flat-four around the engine case they had originally designed for the Volkswagen Beetle. They added new cylinder heads,

The Porsche 356, close to stock or highly modified, has enjoyed much success in rallying and car racing events.
At the 1951 Le Mans 24

Number 53456, the first 356 Carrera ever produced (a modified May 3, 1955 exemplar owned by Porsche engineer Reinhard Schmidt as first

356 "pre-A"
From the earliest, 1,100 cc Gmünd beginnings, the overall shape of the 356 remained more or less set. In 1951, 1,300 and 1,500 cc engines with

The 356 originated as a coupé only 1948–1955. Over time a variety of other styles appeared, including roadster, convertible, cabriolet, and a very rare split-roof.

The 356 has always been popular with the motor press. In 2004, Sports Car International ranked the 356 C tenth on their list of top sports cars of the 1960s. It remains a highly regarded collector car, regularly bringing between US$20,000 and well over US$100,000 at