Porsche Car Reviews and Road Tests

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Porsche Car Company


The story of Porsche dates back to long before the establishment of the marque, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche playing pivotal roles in so many illustrious marques, such as Volkswagen, Austro-Daimler, Steyr and even Cistalia (the French authorities freeing him after the war with the Italian manufacturer paid them a million francs so that they could secure his services to design a new Grand Prix car). But the best was always the one that bore his name, and we think very few would disagree.

The first iterations were based largely on the pre-war Volkswagens, being a rear engined two seater powered by a mildly tuned 69ci 1131cc VW flat four engine. Production commenced I 1948, but it was when manufacture was switched back to Porsche’s original Stuttgart base in 1950 that things really took off. In 1951 output was 500 cars, and by 1956 the number had grown to 10,000. The cars were nearly always successful in any competition they entered, even in their debut at Le Mans – a feat they would mimic 12 times by 1987!

Ferry Porsche assumed control of the company following the death of his father in 1952, and under his guidance the 356 acquired bigger engines and more power. By the mid 1950’s exports began to the US, were there was an almost insatiable appetite for anything Porsche. The 356 was replaced by the 911 in 1964, arguably the most famous of and recognisable of any sports car. The 911, along with the company, would continue to move upmarket – and they represent one of the most sought after and collectible classics to this day.

Collector Notes: A very small number of Porsches trickled into Australia during the 1950s. The 1955 model had a 1.5-litre engine and the basic Porsche shape was established even then. The early Porsches - open and closed – have been rising in value since the 1980s, to forbidding heights, but if you can afford a good one, snap it up. The Type 356A arrived in 1956 with a 1600 engine and the Carrera version in 1958. It was replaced in 1960 with the 1.6-litre 356B, then the 356C (1964 - 1965) and 356SC. Production stopped in 1965 in favour of the 912 and 911. Unbelievably, these latter iterations would be even more collectable.

Also see: Porsche Heritage | The History of Porsche (USA Edition)
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Porsche Type 64  

Porsche Type 64

1938 - 1939
The Type-64 was only a drawing until the three racing cars were built. The body was also a compromise in that the cab had to look like a KdF car, but the rest was 'record' car. The VW beetle was the Type-60, and the name the "60K10" means body design 10 for the Type-60 Beetle. Its flat-four engine produced 50 bhp and gave a top speed of around 160 km/h (99 mph). More>>
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Porsche 356  

Porsche 356

1950 - 1965
Perceived as a rather dumpy-looking rear-engined sports car, the 356 was modelled on the VW Beetle which was also designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Early editions of the 356 had split windscreens and an 1100cc flat four motor that produced a mere 40 bhp. More>>
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Porsche 911  

Porsche 911

1964 - 1973
Released in 1964 this triumph of development over design is still as popular as ever. Despite many variations the pre-1974 are perceived as the best classics of this model. It is interesting to note that if it had not been for Peugeot, who had patented all three digit number configurations that contained a Zero (0) in the middle, the 911 would have been instead the 901. More>>
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Porsche 914  

Porsche 914

1969 - 1975
Born from a misconceived concept by Porsche to build an affordable sports car for the masses, the 914 was launched in 1969 using a Karmann-built targa top. Using the Volkswagen sourced VW411 motor (producing 80bhp), its top speed was a laclustre 107mph / 171kmh. More>>
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Porsche 914/6  

Porsche 914/6

1969 - 1972
After years of co-operation, Volkswagen and Porsche decided to launch a "combined" sports car in late 1969. Bearing the name VW -Porsche the new car was mid-engined, with an option of the 1.77 litre electronically-injected four-cylinder VW engine, or the two-litre Porsche "911 "six". More>>
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Zimmer Porsche 910S  

Zimmer Porsche 910S

1975
So what do you do if you've got a body-less sports-racing Porsche on one hand, a $50,000 budget in the other, and an obsessive desire to own an 'ultimate' street car? For Jack Zimmer the answer was simple. More>>
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Porsche 924  

Porsche 924

1975 - 1985
The 924's life started as a VW, its powerplant and gearbox came from Audi. The 924's 2L fuel-injected engine came from Audi's 100 saloon. Porsche was designing its own front engined model, the 928, at this point, but it appeared after the 924 in 1977. More>>
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Porsche 928  

Porsche 928

1978 - 1995
For 17 years, this Porsche headed the model line-up in luxury and power. The 928 was a tourer; only offered as a 2-door coupe with a big V8 engine. The concept of the 928 originated in 1971. The model was first shown at the Geneva Auto Show in March of 1977. By this time, the 928 was ready and running. More>>
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Porsche 924 Turbo  

Porsche 924 Turbo

1979 - 1985
The 924 had a humble beginning when you consider the donk was derived from the 2 litre unit used in a Volkswagen van. Of course the engineers went to work on that engine so that, by the time it was installed in the engine bay of the 924, there was little resemblance. But the 924's chassis was always cring out for more power - so how did the 2 litre cope with 10 psi of turbocharger boost? More>>
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Porsche 944  

Porsche 944

1982 - 1991
The 944 was an overhauled version of the 924 and was everything the 924 wasn't right from the start. As a result of the 944's release, Porsche decided to withdraw the 924 lineup from the US market(the 924 came back to the US market six years later as the 924S model). More>>
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Porsche 928S4

Porsche 928 S4

1987 - 1991
The 944 was an overhauled version of the 924 and was everything the 924 wasn't right from the start. As a result of the 944's release, Porsche decided to withdraw the 924 lineup from the US market(the 924 came back to the US market six years later as the 924S model). More>>
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