1962 Porsche 356 S

The Porsche 356 traces its lineage all the way back to post World War II, when its production began in 1948. This sports car was Porsche’s first production automobile and the manufacturing took place in Austria. It was created by Fredinand Porsche—the son of Porsche’s founder—with aims of making a sleek, lightweight automobile that packed the power of its larger counterparts. Thus, the 356 was designed with a four-cylinder, air-cooled, rear engine (also rear wheel drive).

While few originally took notice to the car, once it was entered into a race and won its class, enthusiasts across the world began to turn their eyes. Skip a decade, a few models, and in 1962 Porsche released the Porsche 356 B; the T6 was given disc brakes, twin engine lid grilles, an external fuel filler, and a larger rear window. This, of course, is not to mention the notchback design (coined ‘Karmann Notchback’) that set it aside from every Porsche of its time.

Today, it remains to be a collector’s item and one of the most prized cars in our fleet.