Porsche 356 A Carrera (1955 to 1959)

Available in all body styles, the Porsche 356 A Carrera featured the race car-derived 1500 cc four-cam engine (type 547) developed for the Porsche 550 Spyder. Rated up to 110 hp, it was the top performance 356 A model available. Variants included the Carrera 1500GS and Carrera 1500GT, differentiated by their horsepower rating with the 1500GS at 100 hp and the GT at 110 hp. In 1958, Porsche updated the Carrera engines (now type 692), increasing the displacement up to 1600 cc and output increased to 105 and 110 hp respectively. In 1959 horsepower for the GT increased again to 115. GT versions had a different muffler and little sound deadening material. The 356 A Carrera evolved into the Porsche 356 B Carrera in late 1959.