PORSCHE 356 - 1951

Cette collection est une adaptation de Porsche Racing collection - Éditeur : Centauria Editore s.r.l.

Light and aerodynamic, the racing version of the first road Porsche makes its debut at Le Mans with two consecutive class wins

Between 1949 and 1951, when the 24 Hours of Le Mans was reorganised after the war, a number of new manufacturers made their first appearance in the history of the race. In 1951, after Ferrari and Jaguar, Porsche made its debut. This German car company was established in 1948 by Ferdinand Porsche, the creator of Volkswagen, and his son Ferdinand Ernst, known as ‘Ferry’. The first model, the 356, quickly made the transition from road to track, but its official debut in the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours, culminating in victory in the ‘under 1,100 cm3’ category, marked the start of a series of successes destined to continue for a long time to come.

The participation of the 356 SL in the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours marked Porsche's official introduction to the world of competition. Until then, only occasional appearances had been made by the young German brand, on the initiative of private competitors such as Herbert Kaes, Robert Mayer, Petermax Müller and Max Hoffmann, who were eager to take advantage of the potential of the small coupé, but with no notable results.

In the wake of the launch of operations at the temporary site in Gmünd, Austria, father and son Porsche, a little before the move to Zuffenhausen (Stuttgart) and the increase in production to several hundred cars a year, became directly involved in what was already an excellent showcase for sports brands, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three improved and lighter cars were prepared and two were sent to France, competing in the ‘750 to 1,100 cm3’ category with numbers 46 and 47, entrusted respectively to French drivers Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche and the team Robert Brunet - Rudolf Sauerwein.

The two Porsche 356 SLs presented at Le Mans in 1951 are pictured here undergoing technical inspection prior to free practice. The No. 47, which was involved in an accident during practice, did not start. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

The second 356 SL, fresh from the factory, was presented for technical inspection before the start of the 1951 Le Mans, where it was entrusted to the Brunet-Sauerwein team. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

FIRST ACCIDENT, FIRST SUCCESS

Unfortunately, the dreams of glory for the second team were shattered even before the start of the race: an accident during free practice resulted not only in the loss of the car, but also of Rudolf Sauerwein, who suffered a serious leg injury. At the start on 22 June, only one 356 was entered, the No. 46. Although Veuillet and Mouche struggled somewhat in the early stages of the event, they settled into a steady rhythm and finished 20th after 210 laps, just four more than the second-placed ‘under 1,100’ car, the French DB Sport of René Bonnet and Elie Bayol. The following year, the Veuillet-Mouche duo repeated the feat, again with an SL, and improved their overall ranking with an excellent eleventh place.

Start of the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours: on the left, the two 356s, including the one driven by Veuillet (no. 49). They did not finish the race, however Porsche did win the 1,500 category with the 550 Coupé. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

The 356s were soon joined by a number of derivative models with more powerful engines. Here, the 1500 Super of the Guatemalan Manfredo Lippmann at the finish of one of the stages during the 1953 Carrera Panamericana. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

Following its class win in 1951, the 356 made numerous race appearances. The winner of 1951 at Le Mans (chassis number #356/2-063) was particularly successful with driver John von Neumann, who contested numerous races in the United States in 1952, winning at Torrey Pines and at Madera Airport. The same year, a 356 SL driven by Veuillet triumphed at the Circuit de Bordeaux. The Frenchman looked forward to a hat-trick of victories the following year when he returned to Le Mans with German driver Müller, but they were forced to withdraw due to engine problems. A similar situation happened to the second 356 entered by the private team founded by Gonzague Olivier and Eugène Martin.

Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche

Auguste Veuillet is the best known of the two drivers who were responsible for Porsche's first victory at Le Mans in 1951 with the 356 SL, having associated his name with the brand when his company, Sonauto, became Porsche's importer for France. While driving the SL, Veuillet scored other successes, including the 1951 Coupes du Salon, which was held at the same time as the Paris Motor Show, and victory at the Circuit International de Vitesse de Bordeaux in 1952. For Edmond Mouche, the double success at Le Mans represented the high point of his career, which also included two victories in the 4-litre category at the 1948 Spa 24 Hours with Guy Mairesse (in a Delahaye) and in 1949 with Henri Louveau (in a Delage), plus a second place at the 1949 Monte Carlo Rally (in a Hotchkiss).

DATASHEET - PORSCHE 356 SL

ENGINE 4-cylinder boxer, rear
CYLINDER capacity 1,086 cm 3
POWER 46 bhp at 4,000 rpm
TORQUE inc.
DISTRIBUTION 1 ACT, 2 valves per cylinder
FUEL SUPPLY 2 Solex 32 PBI carburettors
GEARBOX 4 speed
MAXIMUM SPEED 162 km/h
ACCELERATION 0-100 inc.
CHASSIS Platform from steel sheets
FRONT SUSPENSIONS swing arms, transverse torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers
REAR SUSPENSIONS swing arms, transverse torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers
BRAKES drum brakes
FRONT / REAR WHEELS 16’
BODYWORK aluminium
LENGTH 3950 mm
WIDTH inc.
HEIGHT 1290 mm
WHEELBASE 2100 mm
TRACKS 1290 / 1250 mm
WEIGHT (empty) 635 kg

The data concerning this car have never been officially published, so the characteristics given here have been taken from the most reliable documentary sources.