Description
The 356 was created by Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche (son of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the German company), who founded the Austrian company with his sister, Louise. Like its cousin, the Volkswagen Beetle (which Ferdinand Porsche Sr. had designed), the 356 is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive car with unitized pan and body construction. The chassis was a completely new design as was the 356’s body which was designed by Porsche employee Erwin Komenda, while certain mechanical components including the engine case and some suspension components were based on and initially sourced from Volkswagen. Ferry Porsche described the thinking behind the development of the 356 in an interview with the editor of Panorama, the PCA magazine, in September 1972. “….I had always driven very speedy cars. I had an Alfa Romeo, also a BMW and others. By the end of the war I had a Volkswagen Cabriolet with a supercharged engine and that was the basic idea. By the early 1950s the 356 had gained some renown among enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic for its aerodynamics, handling, and excellent build quality. The class win at Le Mans in 1951 was a factor. It was common for owners to race the car as well as drive them on the streets.
This very early and rare Porsche 356 from 1953 was delivered on 13th July 1953 to Mr. Georg Rittersbacher – Reichsgraf von Kesselstadt at Trier/Germany.
A copy of the 1953 works data sheet is available in the car’s file, stating the Car’s specification and its 1500 S engine, providing 70 HP. This specification is also confirmed by Porsche in a letter to Mr. Heinz Kauhsen of Kauhsen Classic Racing Cars of 17.09.2015. Mr. Kauhsen’s well known specialist restoration company of Würselen Germany undertook a ground up and
no expenses spared restoration of # 50894 to its now superb condition.
This is documented in a 79 page expert evidence of 14.03.2016 by german automobile expert Dipl. – Ing. Klaus Kukuk and further documentation in the cars file.
The extensive expert evidence also describes the various steps to receive a finished end – product in such a quality in any respect. This report is backed by many detail photos of the car in various phases. A Porsche 356 – pre A in this condition must definitely be the jewel in the crown of the most prestigious collections of Porsche cars, especially within the 356 range.
