Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet

Porsche 356 SC Cabriolet

By 1964, the Porsche 356 had reached its ultimate development as the SC (Super C). This was the swan song of Ferdinand Porsche's original sports car concept — a rear-engined, air-cooled flat-four design that had evolved from the humble VW Beetle into a thoroughbred sports car over nearly two decades of continuous refinement.

The SC designation identified the most powerful normally aspirated 356 engine: a 1,582cc air-cooled flat-four producing 95 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. This was achieved through careful cylinder head work, dual Zenith carburetors, higher compression, and a performance camshaft. While 95 hp sounds modest today, in a car weighing barely 935 kg it provided genuinely spirited performance, with a top speed approaching 185 km/h.

The Cabriolet body style, built by Reutter (later Recaro), offered a properly engineered folding soft top with good weather sealing — a significant improvement over the earlier Speedster's rudimentary rain protection. The interior featured improved instrumentation, more comfortable seats, and better sound insulation. The Cabriolet was the gentleman's 356, offering open-air motoring without the Speedster's sacrifices.

The chassis benefited from years of development. The front suspension used trailing arms with laminated torsion bars, while the rear employed the familiar swing-axle layout with transverse torsion bars. Disc brakes were now fitted to all four wheels — a welcome improvement over the drums of earlier 356s. The four-speed manual gearbox featured Porsche's excellent synchromesh on all forward gears.

The 356 SC represented the absolute peak of 356 development. Everything that Porsche had learned over 16 years of production was distilled into this final model. Today, the 356 SC Cabriolet is prized for its duality — it is civilized enough for grand touring yet engaging enough for spirited driving, all while offering the timeless beauty of the 356 shape with the wind in your hair.