Customer Reviews

Original Porsche 356 (Original Series)

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This book has very nice pictures of the 356. There are, however, few of the US specification Porsche. The book, being a British publication, has a lot of photos of cars produced for the UK market. There are some really beautiful cars to drool over in here!

This is a good basic volume for the first-time or prospective 356 owner. Filled with many color photos and just the right amount of charts, it explains the differences in years and models. It doesn't give enough detail to be the basis of a restoration, but it does makes a good read. A good supplement for any Porsche library.

112 pages and lots of very nice photographs (about 200), all in colour. The text is nicely wrapped around the photographs. The photographs are all especially made for this book, so they are all new and unpublished before.

The book forms an attractive and detailed guide to the Porsche 356 and the illustrations, besides being very nice, provide a good and complete reference source. It's the book to own when you like the classic lines of the Porsche 356.

A "coffee table" book (as opposed to a workshop manual). Stunning colour photographs throughout and an excellent condensed history of the type. You would not be dissapointed with this purchace. I am certainly very proud of it.

The "Original" series is an indispensible introduction to the marques and models it covers, and Meredith's volume on the 356 is up to the high standard of the series. If you have a general interest in the Porsche 356, and are looking for a nicely illustrated tour of the various models, this book could be the foundation of your Porsche library. For those restoring a car, it is likely insufficient, but even at that dirt-under-the-nails level of work there is much useful content here.

The 356 series effectively launched Porsche as an independent automaker. From the original Gmund cars -- handbuilt in what had been an Austrian sawmill -- through the Pre-A, A, B and C versions, the 356 was developed and improved over time. The first thing you're likely to want to know, as a new Porsche enthusiast, is how these differ and why. Meredith provides ample detail, and spices it with enough commentary to keep it all from becoming a snooze. The photography is not comprehensive, but is representative: you will know what a Pre-A looks like relative to an A, and you will have some idea as to the changes made.

It misses the mark slightly once you are past the basics and want to know, for example, what the boot would look like in a properly restored 356A, or how the A bumpers changed over the years. For the newcomer, not all that important. But for restoration, that level is warranted, and you won't find it here.

I should compliment the author on the back sections, with production numbers, engine specs, color combinations and a running calendar of model changes. While I have found the colors section to be incomplete -- will someone please have a go at reproducing the color samples/codes in the format of a car brochure? -- the amount of information is impressive and useful. Similarly, the Restoration section is an accurate and sobering walkthrough of a near-basketcase car, highlighting the many places a 356 is susceptible to rust (hint: the whole car, except for the fabric roof...)

The bulk of the book concerns the Pre-A and A, but this is appropriate because most development took place during the 1950s, the era of those models. The chapter on the Carrera versions is especially good, perhaps the best of the book.

Original Porsche 356 isn't a coffee table book, and not a extensive history of the company. It is a beautifully printed (at least the Motorbooks hardcover edition I have), straightforward and concise overview of the cars, which is hugely educational and -- for those engrossed in the minutiae -- fascinating. For those less into the details, it is eminently skimmable.

Very much recommended.