2023-05-07 21:40:23
Founded in 1931, the Porsche brand only began mass-producing its own models in 1948 with the 356. Designed on the mechanical basis of a VW Beetle, it therefore had to make do with a 4-cylinder flat 1.1-liter developing 40 hp, but makes good use of it thanks to its lightness and aerodynamic finesse.
1951, a class victory for the 356
Eager to establish the brand’s reputation in the areas of performance and reliability, Ferry Porsche followed with great interest the resumption of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the war in 1949. So much so that he decided to engage in a lightened version (in aluminium) and profiled (keeled wheels) of his 356 from the 1951 edition. manages to finish the race by winning its category (less than 1.1 litres) with, at the wheel, a tricolor crew made up of Auguste Veuillet (Porsche importer in France) and Edmond Mouche.
Power up
A life-size test bench for the engineers at Zuffenhausen, the 24 Hours event was, from there, to be the scene of Porsche’s rise to power. From 1953, the appearance of the mid-engine 550 RS 1.5, designed for racing, allowed the brand to regularly rank in the first five cars at the finish, in the middle of much more
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