Porsche 356
Porsche 356 model chart (Courtesy Brett Johnson)
The first Porsche, road registered on June 8, 1948, was the predecessor of all further Porsches. (in the chart above referenced as the 1948 Prototype Roadster)
In the chart above, this refers to the Pre-Production Porsches from 1948 to 1949
The pre A are often called the split-windows or bent windows Porsches. These are the cars that left the factory between 1950 and 1955.
The Porsche 356A was built from 1956 to 1959. Carrera was a perfect exotic sounding name for the Fuhrmann engine that came to the production 356 in 1954. The Porsche 356A was the first generation of the car to carry the Carrera name.
The Porsche 356B was built from 1960 to 1963
Porsche 356 C
The Porsche 356C was built from 1964 onwards, and was the last of a generation.