Porsche 356 Rose from Ashes of Austrian Saw Mill
Porsche was forced to leave Germany in the middle of the war, eventually building their very first vehicles in a very unique place.
Compounding Issues
Many of us forget, but Porsche faced some troubled waters when it was in the early stages of building and selling automobiles. Thus, in the middle of a World War, they moved their operations out of Germany to Gmünd in Carinthia, Austria. It was there that the very first vehicle to bear the Porsche name was constructed, a 356 built on the premises of what was formerly a sawmill.
Photos: Porsche
Making the Move
By the fall of 1943, Porsche had existed as a company for 12 years. But after repeated bombing raids in Stuttgart, Ferdinand Porsche was forced to start looking for a new location. By 1944, he settled on Austria. But as the automaker recalls, building cars in an old former saw mill wasn't exactly easy for workers.
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Pros and Cons
The roughly 300 employees had to deal with a lack of equipment, space, and rundown conditions. Porsche had to build additional space for designers, management, and recreational activities. But there was plentiful food for everyone to eat, and there was zero threat from the turmoils of war in this very remote location.
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Simply Surviving
While Ferdinand was being interned by the French (and eventually released and exonerated), his son Ferry was forced to oversee operations. At this point, it was all about survival, which is why Porsche focused on building tractors and other agricultural equipment. But by 1948, Porsche finally had the funds to construct the vehicle they had dreamed of building all along.
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First of Many
Originally dubbed the VW Sport, the 356 featured the front axle, transmission, and engine from the Beetle, with a steel frame and aluminum body. Porsche tuned the engine and added new cylinder heads to coax more power out of it. On June 8, 1948, the 356 “No. 1” Roadster sporting chassis number 356.001 received its general operating permit.
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Early Production
At the same time, car 356/2, a coupe, was also under construction. It was finished in August of 1948. After the first two cars were completed, a grand total of 44 more Coupes and 8 Cabriolets were constructed at the saw mill in Austria. Production at that location ended soon afterward in 1950.
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Start of an Era
These models from Gmünd were what the Porsche brand presented to an international audience at the Geneva Motor Show in the Spring of 1949. Needless to say, their adversity paid off. The 356 went on to become a massive hit, with roughly 78,000 of them being produced up until 1965. Ferdinand Porsche only originally expected to sell around 500 of them.
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Avoiding Disaster
Perhaps more importantly, the 356 launched an entire brand that we know and love today. A brand that faced extinction before it could even really get off the ground. Instead, a short-lived relocation to a safe place helped Porsche avoid that fate, and we're certainly thankful that it did.
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