Number 1
08-09-2008, 06:41 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Number 1
I had the good fortune to hear that the original Porsche - No. 1 - the very first car - would be at PCNA headquarters, just down the street from my office. So I grabbed my camera and headed over....
==================================
Porsche No. 1, the one-of-a-kind, two-seat sports car Dr. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche built after he was unable to find the car of his dreams, returns to America to commemorate Porsche's 60th Anniversary. This occasion is a happy one as its first North American trip, to Porsche's 50th Anniversary celebration at the 1998 Monterrrey Historics, was thwarted when it was damaged on its way to California.
- Affectionately called Porsche No. 1 by the Porsche family and thousands of the brand's loyal followers worldwide, this legendary sports car began lif in June 1947 as engineering project Type 356 in the Porsche design office in Gmund, Austria.
- Officially known as Type 356-001, Ferry Porsche's dream took shape through the leadership of Karl Rabe, Porsche's talented chief designer who worked with Ferry's father to develop the original Volkswagen (VW).
- Starting with a hand-built tubular steel frame, engineers used many already existing VW components. They were a natural choice due to the early VW-Porsche relationship and because of VW's key role in the post-war rebuilding effort after the British military officers brought VW's Wolfsburg factory back online in 1945 to fulfill car demand and to stimulate the nation's economy.
- The VW air-cooled 1.3-liter flat-four engine put out just 25 hp at 3,300 rpm, so the skilled Porsche team modified the engine, boosting output to between 35 and 40 hp.
- The engine was positioned in front of the rear axles with the transaxle trailing behind, making this a true mid-engine design. Mated to a four-speed gearbox, the drivetrain proved to be both lightweight and reliable.
- Erwin Komenda, who along with Ferry Porsche and Karl Rabe formed the foundation of the fledgling car company, penned an aerodynamic and easy-to-build open roadster design. Friedrich Weber from Gmund, one of just three of the company's body artisans, formed each of the car's aluminum body panels using hand tools, sheet metal and Komenda's wooden body buck. The result was as shapely and beautiful as it was functional.
- As with every Porsche since, form followed function on Porsche No. 1. The interior had a bench seat to accommodate a third passenger, a simple dash with only a tachometer (a speedometer was added later), a locking glove box, and map pockets on the leather door panels. A luggage compartment and the fuel tank were placed under the front hood, and the mid-engine layout provided space for a spare tire and battery in the rear. A low, frameless twin-panel windscreen provided protection while accenting the sports car's gentile lines.
- It weighed merely 1,290 lbs. and the modified engine provided a top speed of between 84 and 87 mph. in May 1948, Ferry Porsche set off on the first long road test, driving from Gmund to Zell am See, Austria. During the rigorous test drive over some of Europe's most spectacular climbs, the rear torsion bar suspension failed but was repaired en route. This proved to be the only mechanical failure during testing.
- On July 11, with Herbert Kaes at the wheel, Porsche No. 1 won its class in the Rund um den Hofgarten local race in Innsbruck, Austria. Just as today, testing and competition proved to be solid underpinnings for the company's commercial and motorsports success.
- Soon after, Porsche ramped up its 356 production at the company's tiny Gmund factory, abandoning the complex tube frame in favor of a stamped floor pan. The engine also was moved behind the axles to provide more interior space and room for a rear seat. In 1950 Porsche moved production to its current home in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
- After passing through the hands of several owners, Porsche No. 1 was reacquired by Porsche AG and became a centerpiece in the Porsche museum. As Porsche nears completion of its new museum alongside the Porsche factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Porsche No. 1 will be prominently displayed in a way befitting the historic car that shaped all future Porsche vehicles.
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001a1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001b1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001c1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001d1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001e1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001h1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001i1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001j1.jpg[IMG]
==================================
Porsche No. 1, the one-of-a-kind, two-seat sports car Dr. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche built after he was unable to find the car of his dreams, returns to America to commemorate Porsche's 60th Anniversary. This occasion is a happy one as its first North American trip, to Porsche's 50th Anniversary celebration at the 1998 Monterrrey Historics, was thwarted when it was damaged on its way to California.
- Affectionately called Porsche No. 1 by the Porsche family and thousands of the brand's loyal followers worldwide, this legendary sports car began lif in June 1947 as engineering project Type 356 in the Porsche design office in Gmund, Austria.
- Officially known as Type 356-001, Ferry Porsche's dream took shape through the leadership of Karl Rabe, Porsche's talented chief designer who worked with Ferry's father to develop the original Volkswagen (VW).
- Starting with a hand-built tubular steel frame, engineers used many already existing VW components. They were a natural choice due to the early VW-Porsche relationship and because of VW's key role in the post-war rebuilding effort after the British military officers brought VW's Wolfsburg factory back online in 1945 to fulfill car demand and to stimulate the nation's economy.
- The VW air-cooled 1.3-liter flat-four engine put out just 25 hp at 3,300 rpm, so the skilled Porsche team modified the engine, boosting output to between 35 and 40 hp.
- The engine was positioned in front of the rear axles with the transaxle trailing behind, making this a true mid-engine design. Mated to a four-speed gearbox, the drivetrain proved to be both lightweight and reliable.
- Erwin Komenda, who along with Ferry Porsche and Karl Rabe formed the foundation of the fledgling car company, penned an aerodynamic and easy-to-build open roadster design. Friedrich Weber from Gmund, one of just three of the company's body artisans, formed each of the car's aluminum body panels using hand tools, sheet metal and Komenda's wooden body buck. The result was as shapely and beautiful as it was functional.
- As with every Porsche since, form followed function on Porsche No. 1. The interior had a bench seat to accommodate a third passenger, a simple dash with only a tachometer (a speedometer was added later), a locking glove box, and map pockets on the leather door panels. A luggage compartment and the fuel tank were placed under the front hood, and the mid-engine layout provided space for a spare tire and battery in the rear. A low, frameless twin-panel windscreen provided protection while accenting the sports car's gentile lines.
- It weighed merely 1,290 lbs. and the modified engine provided a top speed of between 84 and 87 mph. in May 1948, Ferry Porsche set off on the first long road test, driving from Gmund to Zell am See, Austria. During the rigorous test drive over some of Europe's most spectacular climbs, the rear torsion bar suspension failed but was repaired en route. This proved to be the only mechanical failure during testing.
- On July 11, with Herbert Kaes at the wheel, Porsche No. 1 won its class in the Rund um den Hofgarten local race in Innsbruck, Austria. Just as today, testing and competition proved to be solid underpinnings for the company's commercial and motorsports success.
- Soon after, Porsche ramped up its 356 production at the company's tiny Gmund factory, abandoning the complex tube frame in favor of a stamped floor pan. The engine also was moved behind the axles to provide more interior space and room for a rear seat. In 1950 Porsche moved production to its current home in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
- After passing through the hands of several owners, Porsche No. 1 was reacquired by Porsche AG and became a centerpiece in the Porsche museum. As Porsche nears completion of its new museum alongside the Porsche factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Porsche No. 1 will be prominently displayed in a way befitting the historic car that shaped all future Porsche vehicles.
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001a1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001b1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001c1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001d1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001e1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001h1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001i1.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/type_356001j1.jpg[IMG]
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08-24-2008, 09:56 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2005
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#1 wasn't so gently treated about 30 years ago. A friend of mine (Ron Ramage) was a salesman for Circle Porsche Audi in Long Beach and he received a call from the Factory asking if he could meet a plane at LAX, trailer #1 to Montery, stick around for a few days of the historics and then trailer it back to LA for its flight back to Germany. There was no factory security during this trip He wasn't even compensated.
08-30-2008, 12:36 AM
#13
Aficionado
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
srm_993 and zellamsee: can I use those pics in my page?
See here: http://k45-286.blogspot.com/
Please use the google translator tool set to portuguese.
PS: Hi Renato, nice to see you here.
See here: http://k45-286.blogspot.com/
Please use the google translator tool set to portuguese.
PS: Hi Renato, nice to see you here.
09-01-2008, 10:47 AM
#15
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Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
