Porsche
356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1)

Why it matters

The No. 1 Roadster is the first car to carry the Porsche name and the only mid-engined 356. It received its general operating permit on 8 June 1948, the date Porsche counts as the birth of its sports cars, and it remained a one-off.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1) (Wikimedia Commons: Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1) (Wikimedia Commons: Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster (Sport 356/1) (Wikimedia Commons: Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Built in Gmünd, Austria, the car, chassis 356.001, was first called the VW Sport. Ferry Porsche drove it for the first time on 5 February 1948, and it received its operating permit on 8 June 1948. It used a tubular steel frame with a hand-formed aluminium body and took its engine, transmission, front axle and other parts from the Volkswagen Beetle, with tuning that lifted output to 35 PS.

The car was sold to a first owner in Zurich, who later fitted hydraulic brakes; a subsequent owner converted the engine to 1.5 litres. Porsche bought it back in 1958 in exchange for a 356 Speedster and restored it for road use in 2018.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Chassis number 356.001. The car is unique: mid-mounted engine, tubular steel frame and aluminium body, and its engine still bears its original number.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Made in Austria – Porsche Newsroom Level A

   • 1 one-off ("It remained a one-off")

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   356 "No. 1" Roadster: the "Number 1" lives on Level A Porsche Newsroom · 2018-07-17

   • "Number 1" was returned to Porsche in 1958
   • centrally located 1,131 cc four-cylinder
   • 1,131 cc
   • increasing its power output to 35 PS
   • unsynchronised four-speed transmission
   • The tubular frame made of steel supported a body made of aluminium
   • axles, steering, wheels and brakes all originated from the VW Beetle
   • Kaiser replaced the cable-actuated brakes with a hydraulic mechanism
   • supported a body made of aluminium
   • engine needs to move just 585 kilogrammes of vehicle weight
   • top speed 135 km/h

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   Touring Party – 356 No. 1 Roadster world tour Level A Porsche Newsroom

   • show car was proposed ... reveal exactly what the original looked like

   Accessed 2026-11-12
4. 4
   Guide: Porsche 356/2 Gmund - a Historical & Technical Appraisal Level B Supercar Nostalgia · 2020-03-23

   • Like the 356/1, compression was increased from 5.8:1 to 7.0:1
   • original Solex 26 VFI downdraught carburettor fitted to the 356/1
   • 35bhp at 4000rpm (on the 356/1)
   • torque rating was unchanged with 51lb-ft at 2600rpm
   • 51lb-ft at 2600rpm

   Accessed 2026-11-12
5. 5
   Made in Austria – the history of the Porsche 356 Level A Porsche Newsroom · 2019-11-06

   • unsynchronised four-speed gearbox
   • vehicle with a weight of only 585 kilograms
   • top speed of at least 135 km/h

   Accessed 2026-11-12