Profile view of a 1958 Porsche 356 GT silver photographed in the studio. The Porsche 356 was a sports car produced from 1948 through 1965. It was Porsche's first production automobile. The 356 name denotes that it was Porsche's 356th project. The 356 was the first production sports car bearing the Porsche name.12 However, before the war designer Ferdinand Porsche also created the Type 64 as well as a mid-engine prototype called Number 1, which has led to some debate as to the first Porsche a