356A 1955-59

Introduced in late 1955, the 356 A brought forth numerous subtle yet impactful changes. Internally designated as "Type 1," it earned the affectionate nickname "T1" among enthusiasts. In the United States, the initial 1,200 units of the 356 were branded as the "Continental," followed by a further 156 units from autumn 1955 to January 1956, which constituted the even rarer T1 "European" variant before reverting to its numerical 356 designation. Early in 1957, a second iteration, known as Type 2 (or T2), of the 356 A was introduced.

Production of the Speedster peaked at 1,171 units in 1957 before gradually declining. Notably, the four-cam "Carrera" engine, initially exclusive to spyder race cars, became an available option starting with the 356 A.

Over the past 25 years, replicas of the 356 A have gained immense popularity.

The standard engine configuration consisted of a 1,582cc (1.6ltr) 4-cylinder boxer air-cooled naturally aspirated pushrod OHV engine with a 2-valve-per-cylinder valvetrain. Equipped with dual downdraft Zenith carburetors, it delivered 60PS (59hp; 44kW) at 4,500 rpm and a peak torque of 110 Nm (81 lb⋅ft; 11 kg⋅m) at 2,800 rpm.