Book excerpt: Introduced in 1949, the 356 is the one model every Porsche enthusiast would love to own, a simply styled performance classic whose design and engineering became cornerstones of the marque's success. This reprint of the colorful 356 photohistory which first appeared in 1992 charts the evolution and development of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche's groundbreaking design, offers discussion and images of the rare models, and examines the prolific motorsport successes of RS Spyders, the 356 offspring which became extremely popular on U.S. sports car circuits during the 1950s. All 356s through the final 1964 model year are depicted with period photography, design diagrams, and modern color images of factory-original models.