1957 Porsche 356A Coupe

If this car drives as the catalog says, the new owner did very well. If not get busy spending and making it right

by Jim Schrager

The 356A was Porsche’s first volume production car, in Coupe, Speedster, and Cabriolet versions. Introduced in 1956, the 356A embodied substantial revisions to the original 356 series, including a one-piece curved windshield, horn grilles under the headlights, and a gas gauge. Changes to the front and rear suspension, 15-inch wheels in the radically wide size (for the period) of 4.5 inches, a padded dashboard, and better legroom and headroom distinguished the A cars from their predecessors. Bodies for the 1956–57 cars were built exclusively by the Reutter body works. Engine choices included both pushrod and four-cam versions, starting with the 1,300-cc pushrod models at 44 or 60 hp (measured under the conservative DIN system). The 1,600-cc pushrod engines produced 60 and 75 DIN hp and later became the standard engines through the B models to 1963. Of the two four-cam engines, one was a 1,500-cc GS engine with 100 DIN hp, the other a 1,500-cc GT model in a...