The Porsche 356 (Pre-A) was offered for the 1950–1955 model years. This page documents 11 equipment codes across 4 trims for the United States market, grouped into 7 categories. Select a trim at left to see its specific options and standard equipment. “No charge” marks no-cost equipment and “—” marks an option whose period price has not yet been sourced.
Background
The 356 was Porsche’s first production car: a small rear-engined car with an air-cooled flat-four and engine and suspension components derived from the Volkswagen Beetle. The first cars were built by hand in Gmünd, Austria, with aluminium bodies, before production moved to Stuttgart in 1950 with steel bodies built by Reutter. “Pre-A” is collectors’ shorthand for the cars built before the 356 A of late 1955.
Early cars had a split windscreen of two flat panes, replaced in 1952 by a one-piece screen with a bend in the centre. The first two US cars, delivered in 1950, had 1.1-litre engines, and later US cars used a 1.5-litre engine in standard and Super tune. The bodies were the coupé and the cabriolet, with the aluminium-bodied America Roadster offered in 1952.
Porsche used no model years before the 356 A, so the years given here are calendar years of US sale, which began when the importer Max Hoffman took delivery of the first two cars. The Speedster, with a low, removable windscreen and a minimal folding top, was added for 1955 at Hoffman’s suggestion. For 1955 the coupé and cabriolet were sold in the US as the “Continental”, a name dropped after Ford objected.
Speedster comfort items: heater, tachometer and side curtains
356 Speedster
$81
Performance & Sound
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
1500 Super engine (70 hp), sold with radio, tachometer, special bumpers and seat adjuster
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet
—
—
1500 Super engine (70 hp); coupe and cabriolet Super prices include radio and wheel discs
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet, 356 Speedster
—
—
Oil filter (Speedster)
356 Speedster
$16
Lighting
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
Chrome headlight stone guards
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet, 356 Speedster
$34
Seats
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
Passenger seat headrest
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet, 356 Speedster
$30
Comfort & Assistance
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
Clock in glove compartment
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet, 356 Speedster
$16
Infotainment & Audio
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
Telefunken "Auto Super" radio (included with the 1500 Super coupe and cabriolet)
356 Coupe, 356 Cabriolet, 356 Speedster
$125
Interior Personalisation
Code
Option
Availability
Price (USD)
Ref
—
Full leather interior (coupe)
356 Coupe
$140
—
Fitted luggage set, three pieces (coupe)
356 Coupe
$130
—
Fitted luggage set, two pieces (coupe)
356 Coupe
$115
Missing something?
Got a build sheet or window sticker listing an option we don’t have? Add it. Everything gets checked before it goes in.
Sources
Compiled from period Porsche brochures, Porsche press releases and technical specifications, Porsche’s approved-wheel bulletins, US-market paint and specification listings, EPA fuel-economy data and, for model years no Porsche document covers, published reference works. Figures are provisional historical data provided without warranty.
For software and AI agents: this page as Markdown, this generation as JSON, and llms.txt for the whole dataset.