I found this interesting story on the 60th birthday of the 356. Of note is the fact that the prototype 356 (designation from the engine drawing number) actually had its engine mounted in FRONT of the rear wheels like the Cayman. Happy Birthday to our great great granddaddy, the venerable 356!
-Steve

Porsche 356 paved the way for success story
16.07.08 08:21

The Porsche 356, which celebrates its 60th birthday this month, played a key role in making a remarkable success story out of a once small German engineering firm, dpa reported.

The figure "356" has become synonymous with Porsche which is today one of the world's leading sports car manufacturers.

In 1948, a first permit for a prototype "Porsche No. 1" was granted with the first test report released on July 7, 1948 which is considered the car's official birthday.

The prototype was in fact a souped-up VW Beetle mated to a body in a sports car design, going back to Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche, who played a big part in the development of the Beetle.

After World War II, Ferdinand Porsche was a French prisoner of war while his son Ferry ran the Porsche factory in Gmuend, Austria. The factory had been moved there from Stuttgart in 1944 because of the war.

All sorts of new and old ideas came together in Austria. Engineers working on the Beetle in the 1930s had already worked on several ideas to give the rather weak Beetle engine more power. The figure "356" refers to the construction number 356.00.105 that stood for the first drawing dated July 17, 1947.

What later emerged from this drawing was much more daring than the production model. The prototype with the designation "No. 1" was powered by a Beetle engine, centrally mounted in front of the rear axle with the power boosted from 24.5 hp to 35 hp. The steel frame and body for the convertible gave it the necessary sturdy structure.

But the engineers began to have second thoughts when production plans were mooted and instead used a refurbished Beetle chassis with the engine mounted in the rear. The Roadster was also fitted with a hardtop. The gearbox and brakes were also taken from the Beetle but the production model nevertheless had an engine boosted to 40 hp.

The first 50 units of the Porsche 356 were all hand made at the Austrian plant. The success story only really began when the factory moved back to Zuffenhausem, near Stuttgart. In 1949, the body builder Reutter was given a contract to build 500 bodyworks for the sports car.

These early models with their bathtub design still left much room for improvement. The divided windscreen resembled pre-war technology. But the secret of its success was that it could undergo repeated refinement of even small details and the overall design.