The Porsche 356 was a Porsche sports car sold from 1948 through 1965 , and Porsche's first production automobile. It was preceeded by the Porsche 64 , which has lead to some argument over which car is offically the first Porsche, although the Type 64 was never mass-produced and was never much more than a driveable test-mule. The 356 concept was created by Ferdinand " Ferry " Porsche (Ferry being a nickname), styled by Erwin Komenda , and mechanically derived from the Volkswagen Beetle , which Ferdinand Porsche Sr. had designed. It was available as both a coupé and a roadster and went through several evolutions before being retired. 356 "Carrera", "Super 90" and "Speedster" models are among the most desirable versions; 356 Carrera models often sell for well over $100,000 USD.

Porsche replaced the 356 with their then-new 911 model in 1963 , although they continued to sell 356s in North America through the end of 1965 as a lower-cost vehicle. The 356's engine was later re-used to power Porsche's "entry level" 912 model between 1965 and 1969.

In 2004 , Sports Car International named the 356C number ten on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s