Autoworld lit 70 candles for the iconic Porsche 356, just as the crazy hypercars left the stage.
Autoworld invited 20 supersportscars and hypercars to their reopening
For the 70th anniversary of the model, Autoworld managed to gather some twenty classic Porsche 356 models, showcasing the wide variations of the model range. Two years after the 70th anniversary of the Porsche brand, the anniversary of the series production of the 356 gives another reason to celebrate.
The curators of Autoworld managed to enlist all generations of the 356 model, from the Austrian made Pre-A, through the Stuttgart production A, B, C (Speedster, Cabrio and Coupé versions alike) down to unique and small production vehicles with individual coachworks designed by Zagato, Karmann or Abarth.
This is a short term temporary exhibition with a few dozen cars in the spotlight, in addition to the vehicles of the permanent exhibition, refurbished earlier this year. Visitors have a chance to catch up with the Porsches until 30 August (for more info on facilities, access and opening hours, visit their website).
The first group of 356 models are all from the so-called pre-A series. These cars were still assembled in the Austrian town of Gmünd, where Ferry Porsche called to life the 356, the model he considered the perfect vehicle.
Some 8000 cars were built in the stables at Gmünd, and Autoworld managed to recruit four of them for this exhibition, with several bodywork designs. The showcased 1955 Speedster is one of the very first Speedsters. These lightweight cars were called to life on the initiative of the American importer of Porsches, Max Hoffmann.
The next car is a 1950 Cabrio, and the pre-A versions are recognisable for their split windscreen, later replaced by a single, centrally curved windshield.
The beige car in the second row is a 1948 race version, one of the 44 Porsche type 356/2 built entirely out of aluminium.
The concrete exhibit was one of 15 Swedish export models, and this particular won the Midnattsssollrallyt on 15 June 1950 with Cecilia Koskull behind the steering wheel.
The next set features a few sport and racing versions: the first two are silver Carreras, one with a 1500 cc four-cam Führmann engine, the other one is a 1600 GT, that competed at Le Mans and has raced on the Nürburgring and Hockenheim race tracks.
Next up is a 1958 Speedster Carrera GT with a beige soft-top and a Führman engine, followed by red coupé and an extraordinary racing version, prepared by Abarth.
Carlo Abarth was commissioned to develop a lightweight race car in his chambers in Turin. This car was based on the technical platform of the 356 BT5.
It peaked at 135 bhp with only 776 kilos on the wage, thanks to intensive use of aluminium.
The next grouping enlists 356 based cars, where legendary coachbuilders were commissioned to build cars that were so different that the origins are hardly recognisable. They are accompanied by a 356 speedster, made in Belgium by d’Ieteren.
The first of the group was a 356 commissioned to Zagato. The Milanese coachbuilder renown for its double-bubble hood created nine examples of Porsche 356 Carrera Zagato in both speedster and coupe version.
Jumping over a red roadster, the white 356 T6 with the livery and equipment of the German Polizei from 1960. This car is one of only 3 remaining specimens of the six cars built for the German Autobahn Polizei. The cars were fitted with a specially tuned Polizeimotor and gearbox and equipped with blue light, stop light panel, police radio and a loudspeaker.
The silver race car was coachbuilt by Austrian Denzel, making headlines with their victory at the 1954 Alpine Rally. Denzel only manufactured open roadsters, similar in style to the first post-war Porsche prototype with custom drivetrain using VW components.
The last car in the row is a bit of a unicorn for me. I encountered an identical car on a Porsche podium at Techno Classica 2018, and I had to research a bit to see what it was.
The luxurious coupés designed by swiss coachbuilder Beutler were among the earlier conversions, based on the 356A platform. Beutler was also among the first partners to build pre-A 356 models in 1947.
For these four-seaters, they did such a thorough reworking, that one has to look really under the metal sheets to discover the technical basis. This yellow Beutler is a one-off from 1958 with a top speed of 160 km/h. The firm also built five four-seaters based on a 356B.
Finally, the middle of the main hall is occupied by three specimens of the 356 C series in several body version. The 356 C replaced the 356 B for the model year 1964.
Auutoworld’s permanent exhibition offers plenty of exciting curiosities. This time I would highlight just one, the Jaguar XJR-15 with racing specifications.
The V12 beast was an uncompromised road-legal race car. It is also a jaw-dropping sight, every time I bump into this car at car shows.
FOR AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE CAR MUSEUMS I EVER VISITED, CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE MAP:
