Porsche 356 Cabriolet competing at an aerodrome race in the USA, ca. 1952/1953
America has for decades been Porsche’s biggest market, and this was important for the young and growing company. In some ways, the importance of this market even influenced the development of certain models. In this feature, Porsche and the US, we look into that all-important relationship between Porsche and the American car-mad society.
One of the surprises of the 1948 Geneva Show was an open two-seater from Porsche, previously known only as an automotive engineer. Viennese Max Hoffman, a former motorcycle racer, now a New York car dealer saw the potential for this neat sports car in America. In 1950, he imported three coupés. With new distributors in Belgium and France and a growing reputation as a purveyor of competitive road racers, Ferry Porsche was happy initially simply to have an outlet in the US.
