Its designer had recently been released from prison where he had been interned by the Allies. The car had a more than passing resemblance to the VW Beetle and with good reason for the same man had designed both. He was called Ferdinand Porsche. All its moving parts – engine, brakes, suspension and steering – were either lifted direct or derived from Beetle running gear and despite the engine being given a fairly monumental tuning upgrade, the 1.1 flat four still only generated, wait for it, the power of around 40 horses.

It is fair to say Porsche has come some distance in the 72 years since. During that time Porsche has become the most profitable car company on Earth whose sphere of operation is now so wide that it makes everything from hypercars to SUVs. It has won in Formula 1 and amassed an unrivalled 19 victories at Le Mans. Today those SUVs are the most coveted cars of their kind, yet Porsche has not forgotten its roots: it still makes a flat four open two seater with its engine located behind the driver, just like that first 356 all those years ago. So to celebrate we thought we’d look at some of the very greatest (and just a few of the not so great) cars that brought Porsche from some huts in Austria to becoming the most successful manufacturer of sporting cars the world has ever known: