The first cars badged with the Porsche name, were created in a sawmill in Gmünd, Austria. The truest test of one of these first-edition 356SL’s was the 1952 running of Europe’s most challenging rally, the long-distance Liege-Rome-Liege. The FIA-spec European Touring Championship 356SL Porsche depicted in Michael Jekot’s painting crisscrossed Europe in 91 nonstop hours. The outcome decided on the Stilfser Loch, Gavia Pass and challenging alpine passes in France, the 356SL taking the lead in the fourth night of the rally.
Winning this event outright, driver and navigator Polensky and Schluter in the factory upgraded 1,500-cc, 356SL (light metal) coupe fought heroically against sports cars with often more than twice the engine capacity. Facing stiff competition from long established manufacturers of English and Italian marques, the diminutive Gmünd coupe proved it was durable, had excellent maneuverability, and adapted perfectly to the steep switchbacks and elevation changes served up on this course.
Original automotive artwork available only, commissions accepted.
Contact:
Michael Jekot
Guild of Motoring Artists
jekot@bitstream.net
www.reconstructions.com
