Porsche 356: 75th Anniversary
By Gordon Maltby

Porsche 356: 75th Anniversaryand relates the full story of Porsche's original sports car from the first Gmund coupe to today's beloved collector car.Ferdinand Porsche was a brilliant engineer who, prior to World War II, had been involved in a variety of significant automotive engineering developmentsand including the first hybrid driveand and vehicles. From the early 1900s, Porsche was developing racing cars including the Mercedes SSK and the mighty Auto Union Grand Prix. During this period, Porsche also developed the groundbreaking Volkswagen, which would prove critical to his postwar, namesake automobile manufacturer.Theand Typ 356 was developed by Ferdinand's sonand “Ferry Porsche and introduced in 1948. Though the rear-engine layout was based onand the Volkswagen, most similarities ended there. The 356 had a unique chassis, higher performing engine, and a handsome wind-cheating body.and Little known outside Germanyand initially, by the early 1950sand theand 356s wereand laudedand for theirand excellent handling, build quality,and and growing volume ofand competition successes.and Porsche's 356and evolved over its 17-year life throughand four distinct series: pre-A, A, B, and C, with coupes, cabriolets, Speedsters, Hardtops,and and Roadsters among the many body variations. Equipped with the “Carrera 4-cam engine,and the 356 was a force in sports car racing. Dedicated competition models were developed beginning in 1953, and the Rennsport Spyders dominated road racing, endurance,and and hill climb events for over a decade.The 356 story includes a cast of fascinating characters, from those engineers who designed the cars, to race drivers who built the “giant-killer and mystique, to ownersand like James Dean and Janis Joplinand who fell in love with the little bathtub-shaped sports cars. From titledand European gentlemen in the 1950s to movie stars like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in theand 1960s, the first Porsches attracted enthusiastsand and racers alike. Today, the car has an even wider following among collectorsand including Porsche fans likeand Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. “356 Fascination continues with ongoing restoration efforts, vintage racing, and an “Outlaw movement, all enhanced by large-scale events that celebrate the car's history.Porsche 356and 75th Anniversaryand tells the in-depth story and is a must-have book for anyone that loves Porsche and sports car history.