Porsche 356 A 1600

History 356A October 1955 – September 1959

In late 1955, with numerous small but significant changes, the 356 A was introduced. Its internal factory designation, « Type 1 », gave rise to its nickname « T1 » among enthusiasts. In early 1957 a second revision of the 356 A was produced, known as Type 2 (or T2).

By 1958, all pushrod motors were 1600cc. The suspension changes introduced on the 356A resulted in the most significant improvement to the 356’s handling during the entire 356 production run. In addition to the front anti-roll bar introduced near the end of pre-A production, oversteer was further tamed by adding softer front springs, stiffening the anti-roll bar, and doubling the caster angle. Understeer was engineered into the chassis with updates to the steering linkage and softer rear suspension. Longer, more vertical rear shocks were also added. The wheels were widened to 4.5 inches and the diameter decreased to 15 inches rims. The windshield was now curved instead of bent. The dashboard was flat. Body styles included Coupes and Cabriolets and two types of Roadsters, the iconic Speedster and its successor in 1959, the one-year-only Convertible D.