An engineering consultancy turned sports car manufacturer, Porsche was always concerned that the driving environment of its cars reflected what Ferry expected owners would want from his cars. The buyers were keen drivers and often racers. They needed a reactive, agile sports car with controls that were to hand and responded exactly to whatever manoeuvre they required. Hence the pre-A 356’s quick, light steering and (by 1952) a competition-designed gearbox.
Ahead of the driver by then was a dashboard with clear, informative instruments, and especially, a rev counter of larger diameter than the other dials placed directly in front of the driver. But if Porsche designed the car that would always be known by its Typ number (356) and built the engine, chassis and running gear, body manufacturer was undertaken by Stuttgart coachbuilder, Reutter. As part of the contract Reutter also produced and installed the seats and upholstery.
By 1959, Porsche was well established as a producer of upmarket sports cars and the quality of Reutter’s fittings and furnishings in the 356B reflected this. Seats were available in seven colour schemes in either fabric or vinyl, and had adjustable backrests. Relatively soft, they lacked any lateral support and for its competition models Porsche often turned to local specialists
