In 1945 Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferry Porsche, decided to build his own car because he did not like any that were available. The first models of what was to become the 356 were built in a small sawmill in Austria. When the advance orders for the prototype exceeded expectations production was begun. The company hand-built the first 52 (aluminum body) cars in Austria.

Sporting just 40 horsepower from a rear-mounted slightly modified Beetle engine, the first Porsche 356's quickly made their mark with sporty handling. Porsche introduced its own engines in the mid-1950s and introduced more powerful versions of the 356. After the 356, in 1964, came a true legend among modern automobiles, the Porsche 911.