PCA.org : Home : Panorama: Gallery: April 2008
Click here to return to Porsche Club of America homepage
PANORAMA
Photo Gallery from our current issue.

November 2008

Each month, Panorama magazine brings you the best from the world of Porsche. Races, vintage car shows, technical articles, we cover it all!

At Panorama, we never have room for all the pictures we'd like to share with our readers. Here are some photos that just wouldn't fit into the magazine this month.

Featured in the November issue is a tribute to Porsche Roadster #1, the first car to emerge from Porsche’s war-time refuge in Gmünd, Austria.  Immediately following #1 were the series of coupes that set Porsche on the road to becoming a sports car manufacturer.  For this month’s gallery, Leonard Turner’s photos give us a close look at one of the first examples of these remarkable cars. 

We refer you to the magazine for even more articles. How do you get your copy? Join PCA, Porsche Panorama is a prime benefit of membership!

Gmünd 1

Ferry Porsche often used this Gmünd coupe to drive between Gmünd and the family home in Zell am See.

 
Gmünd 2

With an aluminum body and rear engine configuration, the Gmünd coupe was the direct progenitor of the steel-bodied 356.
Gmünd 3

The bench-seated car was starkly simple with a speedometer mounted directly in front of the driver.
Gmünd 4

With the front seat back folded forward, the vestigial rear seating and luggage area is revealed.
Gmünd 5

The sleek design of the Gmünd coupe has excellent aerodynamic characteristics although it was produced without benefit of a wind tunnel.
Gmünd 6

Hammered by hand over a wooden body buck, the aluminum hood with its familiar Porsche logo is automotive art.
Gmünd 7

Based on Volkswagen components, the Gmünd coupe’s engine had a displacement of 1086 cc, and produced 40 horsepower.  Top speed is about 87 mph.
Gmünd 8

In keeping with European cars of the time, the coupe featured mechanically operated external turn signals.
Gmünd 9

Seemingly ahead of its time, the front quarter window was made of curved plastic.
Gmünd 10

An almost flush door handle was another futuristic touch and added to the coupe’s aerodynamic look.

 

Check out the November issue for the fascinating story of Porsche #1’s life before it became a museum treasure. You can also read about the RS Spyder’s quadruple win at Petit Le Mans; find out more about PCA’s Enthusiast of the Year in Patti Ktistes’ profile, “The Man from Red River;” take a journey of discovery in Bob Gutjahr’s touching story, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Carrera;” and wade through the many variations of the Porsche’s called Carreras. All great reading in the November issue of Panorama.