Porsche: It all began with the 356 (video)
There is probably no other country that is as closely associated with Porsche as Switzerland. The brand's sports cars have been officially available since April 5, 1951. Amag took over distribution at that time. The brand's sports cars have been officially available since April 5, 1951. Amag took over the distribution at that time. In the following [...]
The brand's sports cars have been officially available since April 5, 1951. Amag took over distribution at that time. In the following years, sales increased rapidly. Switzerland developed into a Porscheland.
The success story began with the 356. At that time, the 356 Coupé cost 15,500 Swiss francs to the centime, and the convertible version 16,500 francs. In the first year of the cooperation, 78 vehicles were sold in Switzerland. No one had expected that. In 2010, the figure was just under 1,600.
Right of first refusal for the first five vehicles
The Swiss were involved in the brand's success from the very beginning - above all the Zurich entrepreneur Rupprecht von Senger. On June 8, 1948, the car connoisseur received the registration permit for the mid-engine sports car with chassis number 356001. The purchase contract was signed on the same day. Rupprecht von Senger had already secured the pre-emptive rights to the first five vehicles in the summer of 1947 in order to import them into Switzerland. A wise decision, as it later turned out.
Tests at the Swiss Grand Prix in July 1948
In addition to a financial advance for the option of 50 more vehicles, Rupprecht von Senger supported Porsche's production by organizing spare parts, tires, and light metal sheets via Switzerland. In the run-up to the Swiss Grand Prix on July 4, 1948, he made his Porsche available for test drives.
International presentation at the Motor Show
The Zurich hotelier and car dealer Bernhard Blank also discovered his love of Porsche, and Ferry Porsche got in touch with him through Rupprecht von Senger. The restaurateur converted part of his hotel into a showroom. In the winter of 1948, the first Porsche 356/2 Coupé built was presented. It was also Bernhard Blank who organized the first trade show appearance of the new brand, and so the Type 356/2 was presented to an international audience for the first time at the AutoSalon Geneva in March 1949.
For the 70th anniversary there is a "Cuvée 356
As in Germany, Porsche drivers in Switzerland got together and on December 11, 1953, an official club was founded in Bern. In Zurich, the Swiss city with the highest density of Porsches, the club was founded in 1954, and at the annual event in Mollis, up to 1,000 vehicles usually roll onto the parking lots. It goes without saying that a "Cuvée 356," which Porsche had pressed for the anniversary, was also served to toast the brand's good fortune.
