<< Prev Page 3 of 3 Towards the end of 1951 Porsche introduced a larger version of the flat four engine. By increasing the bore to 80mm, the displacement grew in size to 1286cc and with it the power rose to 45 bhp. It was offered alongside the original 1.1 litre engine, which remained in production until 1954. It took a lot more effort to develop the third variation on the four cylinder theme; the '1500.' With the help of crankshaft manufacturer Hirth, the Porsche engineers managed to increase the stroke sufficiently to get to the desired displacement of 1.5 litre. Introduced in the 356 1500 during 1952, the engine produced 55 bhp. Porsche's competition department reworked the 1500 engine with hotter cams and bigger Carburetors, boosting power to 70 bhp. In October of 1952 this engine found its way into a new road car; the 356 Super.
The larger engines made the 356 a much more appealing prospect in the United States. Helped by the great sales tactics of Hoffman, Porsche got an ever grower following in North America. They were extremely popular with amateur racing drivers, who campaigned them with great success. Hoffman had nevertheless not yet given up on the idea of a 'spartan' 356 in the vain of the America Roadster to compete with the British sports cars and also the new Corvette on price. Porsche's answer to Hoffman's requests was the standard Cabriolet based 'Speedster', which featured a very minimalistic interior, a cut-down curved windshield and no folding roof. Cheaper and lighter than the standard Porsches, the Speedster was an immediate hit in the salesroom and also on the racing track.
Even though the 356 and its engines had been constantly updated to meet the latest demands, Porsche felt it was time to completely revamp the model in 1955. Although visually very similar, the '356A' launched at the Frankfurt show in the fall of 1955 was a big step forward. It meant the end of the line of the first Porsche production model that saw the company transform from a modest engineering consultant to a full fledged manufacturer. By the time the 356A took over, nearly 8000 examples of the 356 were produced; quite a few more than the 100 per year of the original prediction. << Prev Page 3 of 3
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Towards the end of 1951 Porsche introduced a larger version of the flat four engine. By increasing the bore to 80mm, the displacement grew in size to 1286cc and with it the power rose to 45 bhp. It was offered alongside the original 1.1 litre engine, which remained in production until 1954. It took a lot more effort to develop the third variation on the four cylinder theme; the '1500.' With the help of crankshaft manufacturer Hirth, the Porsche engineers managed to increase the stroke sufficiently to get to the desired displacement of 1.5 litre. Introduced in the 356 1500 during 1952, the engine produced 55 bhp. Porsche's competition department reworked the 1500 engine with hotter cams and bigger Carburetors, boosting power to 70 bhp. In October of 1952 this engine found its way into a new road car; the 356 Super.