FROM 356 TO 993 — EVERY MODEL COVERED PANU AOU HO SCO aM SON RICO 0s PRESENTED BY THE MAKERS OF PORSCHE AND O1lxPorsche ———‘Air cooled heaven!’ COREE ed 7a) CUO eis aesoy teretePORSCHE eae en rant ‘Sin hn er atk at Sotromectrsoramaneae ett att RU ehted t=) rot eee NO ‘SUBSTITUTE fore than a quarter-century has passed since the last 996-generaton 911 rolled of Zufenhauseris production lines, but far ‘rom being regarded as relies of an automotive past, air-cooled Porsches have increased in popularity since discontinuation, Indeed, despite obvious appeal of the brands water cooled output, ‘marque enthusiasts remain commited tocelebrating the fst fifty years of Porsche production, beginning with 356 no.1 in 1948. With this in mind, aetoss the coming 164 pages, AirCooled Classics takes you ona journey documenting tis hugely influential period of manufacturing, rom events leading tothe formation of Porsche as a maker of sportscar, tothe end ofan astonishing fivedecade ra of ticooled road and race car success, ‘As youl discover, weve crammed a tonne of content into this collector's edtion bookazin. THE DAYLONG FRENCH ENDURO IS AS INTEGRAL TO THE PORSCHE BRAND AS THE MIGHTY 911 Test drives of key model, inspirational owner stores, exceptional feature cars and deep dives into the evolution of Porsche engineering are included, as are recollections of the brand ‘motorsport triumphs, which proved hugely important in ensuring Porsche production ‘models reached the kind of dsoering driver targeted by the Stuttgart concer from the off ‘Additionally, we chat the highs and lowe (of Porsche's appearances at the thing Mile Miglia and Targa Florio road races, as well asthe 24 Hours of Le Mans, of which the company has Contested at every staging since first felding centres back in 1951. Arecord breaking number ‘of overall wins and hundreds of class victories ‘at Circuit de la Sarthe later it fairto suggest ‘the daylong French enduro is as integral tothe Porsche brand as the mighty 917. Asyou'l have noted this bookazine ie brought 0 you by the team responsible for producing Classic Porsche and 911 & Porsche World magazines mucky enough to serve as editor of both ties — if you ike what you see in these pages, take advantage of our discounted magazine ‘subscription deals and dont hesitate to reach ‘ut tome on social media. Inthe meantime, kick ‘back and enjoy AirCooled Classics. © (-) Dan Furr Editor @FurrsFleet AIR-COOLED CLASSICS 3PORSCHE AIR-COOLED CLASSICS PRESENTED BY THE MAKERS OF BORStHE AND ‘THE EARLY YEARS Events leading tothe creation of 356 no. 1 GENERATION GAP We pair a 356 PreA with 2 999 Carrera RS. ‘THE FOUR TOPS Development ofthe Porsche flat four STAR POWER Def Leppard guitarists stunning 355d, RACE TO ROME Porsche's adventures inthe Mile Mig, STARTING SIX Evolution ofthe Type 901 boxer engine. FRENCH CONNECTION AARUF restored Signal Red 901 MID-ENGINED MARVELS Ten of the best aircooled and amidships, HOT OFF THE PRESS (One ofthe frst righthand drive 912s, SPOILER ALERT The Carrera RS2.7 loonie ucktal A TALE OF TWO TURBOS Testing an early 930 against a Turbo LE ‘THE ART OF SPEED Porsche graphic designer rich Strengor. SICILIAN SUPERIORITY The famous Targa Foto road race. ‘THE UNSUNG HERO Rediscovering the Carrera 3.0, PEOPLE PLEASERS. The huge-seling 917 SC and Cara 32. CULTURE HERO Origins and design ofthe trablazing 95. LIVING WITH THE LEGEND Keeping a 959 onthe road today A STORY OF SUCCESS. Making tacks atthe 24 Hours of Le Mans. STREET FIGHTER The mighty 964 Carrera RSR 8. 4 AIR-COOLED CLASSICSCONTENTSThe arrival of Porsche as a manufacturer of compact sports cars was preceded by many years of Ferdinand Porsche's ground-breaking invention and engineering... Words Shane O'Donoghue Photography Porsche Corporate Archives erdinand Porsche was already fifty ‘ix years old when he opened the fist Porsche design office in 1931, Financial backing came from Adolf Rosenberger, 1a successful businessman who raced Mercedes cars inthe 19206, while Porsche's lawyer son-imiaw, Anton Pitch, was also funding member. The official company name was Dr Ing he. Porsche GmbH, with the tagline Konstruktion tnd Beratung for Motore und Fahrzeuge, which translates into English as Construction and Advice for Engines and Vehicles. By this stage, Porsche had already proven his engineering expertise ~ atthe umn ofthe century, early in ie career, he'd unvelled the Lohner Porsche, complete with electric whee! hub motors, He further developed the concept as a series hybrid using a petrol engine. Si years later, he was Technical Director at Austo Daimler ‘and oversaw a peri of racing success linked directly with his designs: forty-three out of ity ‘wins were completed in 1922 with a Porsche-penned compact racer named and rudimentary streamlining to outperform rivals with cha, Itused @ 1.1 engine 6 AIRCOOLED CLASSICS ‘much larger powerplants This was an early sign of Porsche's interest in compact and efficient cars, but his desire to bring such @ thing to the masses contradicted ‘Austto Daimiers plans. Coneequenty, he resigned. Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaf, founded by Gotieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, was Porsche's next stop. (Once again, he served as Technical Director. Eventually, the company merged with Benz & Cie, leading to the birth of Mercedes Benz. Though Porsche worked on many cars forthe company, the 1926 WO? is of particular interest due to its smal size and shape. The last car he ‘00k responsibilty for before he formed his own firm was the mighty Mercedes-Benz SSK ~ powered by a supercharged 7.1-lre straight six — but once again, he left under a dark cloud when management prevented him from pursuing development of more compact cars. Arie stint at Steyr (automotive arm of the Osterteichische Waffenfabrks-Gesellschaft weapons manufacturer) preceded the opening of Porsche's design and engineering office, which soon welcomed its first major client, Wanderer, @ German manufac orbieycles, motorbikes, vans and other machinery. In father Ferdinand studying an engineering aaving ofthe Volwagen Bete in 1950picture in he Stuttgart, based design office Topright Hans stuck atthe el ofthe Aut Union Type Right Bers Rosemeyerin {he Auto Union Type at Donington Parkin 1997 1931, Wanderer commissioned Porsche to develop @ new generation of pushrod overhead-valve six cylinder engines. Focusing on 1.7sitre and tworte variants, the engine was labelled Type 7, The following yest, ‘Wanderer sod its automotive department to Auto Union, Joining Horch, Audi and DKW, but Porsche continued ta work with the Wanderer brand up tothe outbreak of the second World Wir. Indeed, early on in the contract between the two businesses, Porsche created a compact prototype for the company, bultto explore the possibilty of a mass-produced streamlined two-door coupe. The design didnt progress to production, but Ferdinand kept ownership and, important its smooth design influenced Porsches oun Investigations into producing a small and efficient car years bofore the Volkswagen Beetie was conceived Those frst Wanderer engines werent very powerful with less than 35bhp on tap forthe 1.7 and 40bhp forthe ‘wore, but they were strong, largely thanks to a seven: bearing crankshaft design. The 1.7 frst powered the ‘Wanderer W17, 8 four-door saloon which evolved inte the 121 and found itself upgraded with a ear subframe and ‘swing axle using lateral leaf springs — a layout devised by Porsche, Despite the low power output, top speed of 59mph was passible thanks tothe relatively streamlined body design. The tworie unit, meanwhile, powered the W22 toa heady 62mph. Porsche upped the capacity of the engine to 2. lies in 1934, but the biggest update ‘came a year later when he added a supercharger to the ‘worltre engine, This liberated a much healthier 84bhp, PORSCHE SUBMITTED PROPOSALS FOR A “STUDY ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GERMAN PEOPLE'S CAR” allowing the gorgeous W25K roadster to hit top speed ‘of mote than 90mph. The engine itsel required few changes to cope withthe extra stresses imposed on itby forced induction though it did last very long if used at full chat for extended periods Porsche carried out smaller jobs for many diferent companies, including the aforementioned Horch (one ofthe predecessors of the present day Aud but one of Porsches biggest achievernents wae defining the layout of what was to become the legendary ‘Auto Union Grand Prix race cars. In 1992, he equivalent of the FIA ofthe day announced a new racing formula, limiting the weight of participating cars ~ excluding driver, uel, of tyes and coolant — to 750ks, Porsche saw an opportunity and, to limitriskto his main ‘engineering firm, set up Hochleistunge-Fahzeug-Bau GmbH (Wranslating into English as High Performance Vehicle Construction). I set about designing a radical \i6-propelled racer with the engine mounted behind the ‘iver. This, t should be noted, was not fora client, but in the hope a client would be found. [Ammajor milestone in the Porsche companys fortunes ‘occurred in 1933, when Adolf Hitler ~ then German Chancellor ~ announced a du of state-sponsored automotive projects. Well come tothe ‘peoples car ‘momentary, but the second project was aniiitive to promote the high-speed German automotive industry” through funding of motorsport. Initaly Hiller intended AIR-COOLED CLASSICS 7(ietory Ten ate to -olely fund Mercedes, but following an approach by Porsche and Rosenberger, as well as race ace, Hans Stuck and Chaitman ofthe Board of Diectore at Auto Union, Baron Kiaus von Oertzen, Hitler agreed both companies should receive state finance. Subsequently, Porsche's team developed the Type 22 racing prototype, ‘so referred toas the P-Wagen. At ts heart was, Porsche's incredible V16 engine, featuring just forty five degrees inthe vee ~ all the more remarkable when you remember the car had to weigh under 750k. TTohelp meet regulations, the block was cast of ‘luminium and the heads were made of light ally. The engine made do witha single camshaft, too, positioned high up in the middle ofthe engine. This controlled the timing ofall thirty-two valves. Close tothe camshaft, rocker ams were used to push the inlet valves in each bank open, while pushrods enclosed in ditinctive tubes spanning the tops of each sie ofthe vee connected to rocker arms for opening the exhaust valves. ‘The frst iteration of this engine boasted 4360ce displacement, two Solex carburetors and a supercharger. Pak power of 29Sbhp doesn't sound sensational by today’s standards, but it was bolstered by 3911-8 torque at ust 2,700%pm, — impressive for the period, Lite wonder the Auto Union racers had a fearsome reputation for their challenging’ heneling. ‘Though the mig-engined configuration should have made the cars well balanced, a lack of structural stiffness in the chassis contributed to unexpected behaviour as it flexed, Additionally the considerable ‘torque ofthe supercharged engine resulted in excessive wheelspin, especially onthe unloaded inside wheel on the exit of a bend. Porsche commissioned ZF to work on 8 solution, resulting inthe now famous siding pins and cams’ design effectively alimited-sip differential Porsche remained involved with the Aute Union race 8 AIRCOOLED CLASSICS car project through tothe Type C, which competed in 1996 and 1937, its V16 eventually enlarging to six litres, developing up to 520bhp and an eye watering 627Ibs at just 2.5001pm. The eat could pull more than 200mph, ‘Auto Union wasrtt happy to leave things there, though — its Grand Prix cars were streamlined with new bodywork toincrease top speed, On-ircult competition between ‘Auto Union and Mercedes wae fete from the moment Hitler decided to fund both companies, and this rivalry extended to the pursuit for speed records. Many were established. Porsche was atthe heart of ill When the Auto Union contract expired in 1987, Mercedes commissioned Porsche to develop a totally new performance cay, the 7, designed from the ground up to surpass all previous record breakers. Power was sett come from a Mercedes aero engine. The goalposts ‘Above The Porsche Type 60 petted at Hoehtor he highest meuntainin he Ennstalr Alps partf the Norther umestone Apso ‘Sia, utr) 1938 Below The TBD was designed by Ferdinand Porsce to break ine word and speed record ang had target of 400mph but outbreak of the ‘second World War pu pai to Completion ofthe project‘Anove Volkswagen 20 proteype pictured in 1937 Below Ferdinand Porsche stands alongside the W20, hen features ana ste body steel runing gear ‘component and thenow familar air-cooled at four ‘moved several times during the projet, primarily when others set new speed records, so much so, by the time the project was mothballe in 1940, target speed inthe region of 400mph was on the cards, requiring nearly '3.500bhp from the latest Daimler-Benz 603 V12 aero engine. Porsche devised an enormous vehicle to house the unit and to enable the use of streamlining, The car ‘measured more than eight metres in length, Si wheels were used, each measuring 1.17 metres in diameter (caleulated to increase to 1.24 metres at 400mph) and arranged on different track widths to suit the streamlined body. Tota weight was 2:800kg, There was plenty of evidence of Porsche ingenuity at wok, including the spindle steering system. The T80 could ster just nine degrees to each side, requiring ‘three-quarter turn of the flat topped steering wheel The suspension used parallelogram arms swinging in the diction of travel upfront and a pendulum swing axle system with supporting struts atthe back. Drive from the engine went directly tothe two rear axles via a sixcisc thermal clutch with automatic centrifugal force adjustment. No transmission was needed due to the ie torque produced, Nonetheless, n abi to preserve the tyres, Porsche came up with an innovative mechanical ‘method to prevent wheel spin when moving off from rest ~an automatic torque compensator registered any slip in the ear wheele via the diferential gear and used the centrifugal governor to regulate engine torque. Unfortunatly, the T80 was never used in anger and the car was put into storage 2s war loomed large Jumping back a few years, not long ater Porsche secured the Auto Union work he submitted proposals to the Gorman Reichs Transport Ministry in Bertin for a ‘sludy onthe Constuetion of a German People's Car" (ype 60 inthe engineering company’s nomenciature). It’s worth mentioning at this point how Porsche had worked on siborn small-car projects ~ frst with ‘Zundapp and then NSU ~ and though none had been brought to fruition, experience onthe subject at the Porsche agency was extensive. An official order fora prototype was soon received from the Reichsverband {er Deutschen Automobilindusrie (German Reich ‘Automobile Industry Association. Hitler's remit for the new car was that t could carry a family of five at speeds of up to approximately 60mph, butt had to be Ura-cheap to manufacture and maintain. Ai cooling ofthe engine was decided upon at an early stage to {ensure the cars owner didnt ned to keep itn a garage ‘overnight, te inference being the new vehicle would be Aesigned forthe ordinary German, who was unlikely to have indoor storage to protec the engine from sub-zero inter temperatures at atime antifreeze was in its early stages of development. This instruction perfectly suited Porsche, who already favoured a rear-mounted fatfour He demonstrated working prototypes in 1935, More than 30,000 miles was covered in each car by the end of 1936, Inthe meantime, Hitler changed production plans. Originally, the ‘peoples car was due to be manufactured by Germany's existing automobile producers en masse, but resistance from industry leaders saw Hitler commit to creating an allnew Volkswagen’ factory, He tasked Ferdinand Porsche with realising his ambition. Porsche AIR-COOLED CLASSICS 9promptly spent six weeks in Detroit earning about Stateside automotive mass-production techniques and Feturned to Motor City the following year to purchase ‘equipment and recrut manufacturing experts. Porsche was also made executive director of anew company ‘established to manufacture the KaF-Wagen (Kraft durch Freud, translating as Strength through Joy) By 1938, following three years of refinement, the {oi of the Beetle (as we know now i) was finalised and unveiled as the Volkswagen Type 1. Small-scale production began, but only afew hundred examples ‘of the new car were produced before the start ofthe ‘Second World War. Factories and equipment were ‘commandeered forthe miltary use, Porsche's talents ‘were employed forthe same reason. Infect, during the war, he was responsible fora number of advanced ‘engineering and automotive development projects for axis forces, from heavy tank designs to hybrid-electrc. antetank guns (the Panzerjager Tiger was even known as, the Ferdinand?) and much more besides. In 1944, Poreche moved its engineering base to Grind in Austria inorder to achieve respite from allied id. The following year, ater the end of the war, this location was given the go ahead to “undertake design ‘work on motorised tractors, gas generators and other hilian equipment’, as well as to repaie “motorised vehicles and agricultural machinery” Porsche wasrit entirely sure how to resurect his automotive business, ‘though he would have more pressing matters to deal with ~ on 15th December 1945, French authorities arrested Porsche, his son, Ferry, and Pigch (who had acted as head of Volkswagen between 1941 and 1945) as war criminals, ery was fred after six months and ‘quickly took up the reins ofthe family fn, entertaining 10 AIR-COOLED CLASSICS an approach from then new Italian motorsport company, Cisttalia (an abbreviation of Compagnia Industiale ‘Sportiva italia), to design and develop a new Grand Prix «ar (the Type 360), along witha road car, a small tractor and a water turbine. Porsche was back inthe world of racing, but now with Ferry atthe wheel. By any measure the Type 260 was a catastrophe. Postwar red tape caused no end of delays (Porsche the Elder would remain incarcerated for twenty wa months), the car was fiendishly complicated to build and by the time it was anywhere near ready, Grand Prix rules and regulations changed. Only one example ofthe Type 360 ‘was made, but itnever raced. The Italians had, however, effectively pald fr Ferdinand Porsche's freedom by investing inthe project up front, allowing Feryto pay the milion franes requested by the French government for ‘the release of his father and Pléch ~ despite the requited fee, both men were cleared of charges relating to slave labour in factories under their watch ‘Away fom the murky world of postwar law cours, Cisitalias coffers were helping Ferry Porsche to give his {ators fim a serious creative shot in the arm. The Type 360 itself, while using lessons learned from the Auto Union racing days, featured many innovations. Ithad @ rudimentary sequential gearshift for example, along ith selectable four-wheel drive and fll independent suspension in allfour comers. Power came from supercharged 1.Sltre flattwelve designed by Ferdinand and mounted behind the driver, producing close to 300bhp. And, while Csitaia went ina diferent direction {orits road car (sing cheap Fiat components married to 8 sporty body), Fey learned much from the experience, very soon turing his attention to a Porschebranded sports car based on Volkswagen mechanicals. The blueprint for the 356 was born, and we all now how that went, dont we?! @ Above Te Type 360 cist pictured ance of an ery ‘Vokswagen Beetle the Porsche Museum in Stutgart