In the second half of the 40s, after the bombings of the 2nd World War, Porsche moved his business to Austria. It was here, in 1948, that the 356 project took shape, it was the first Porsche-branded car ever.

This car, largely designed as a modification of the chassis and mechanics of the VW Beetle (designed a few years earlier by Porsche himself), had excellent handling, lightness, reliability and road holding qualities. The engine was really brilliant for the time, a 1,100 4-cylinder boxer produced by Volkswagen, the engine displacement  was increased and with the addition of a second carburetor, as well as various other modifications, in its first versions it developed about 40 hp, which they soon grew with various refinements to reach 2.0 liters of displacement and 130hp of power.

Various special versions were produced, the most important was the SPEEDSTER version, so called because it was strictly requested by the American market (thanks to the famous importer Max Hoffman), it had a spartan and elegant configuration, which enhanced its racing skills. It was a great success, driven and appreciated by many famous names including actor James Dean, and was produced for almost twenty years before giving way to the 911 series in 1966.