Engine Code Reference

Porsche 356 Engine Codes

Pre-A, A, B and C/SC — pushrod 1100 / 1300 / 1500 / 1600 and four-cam Carrera.

How to read the code

The engine number is stamped on the crankcase third-piece flange, above the generator pedestal — three digits, then a slash, then a sub-variant, then the serial.
Pre-A and early A engines use a roller crank on Super and S models; later A, B and C are plain-bearing except where noted.
Four-cam Carrera engines (692, 587) are entirely different cases from the pushrod 616 family — do not interchange parts.
Power figures are factory DIN bhp; SAE figures used in the US for the same engine are typically 5–10 bhp higher.

Code	cc	bhp	Years	Application	Notes
369	1086	40	1950–54	356 pre-A 1100	VW-based, split crank, alloy heads
506/1	1290	44	1951–55	356 pre-A 1300	Roller crank, larger bore
506/2	1290	44	1954–55	356 pre-A 1300 A	Late pre-A spec
589	1290	60	1953–55	356 1300 S	Roller crank, hi-comp
528	1488	55	1952–55	356 pre-A 1500	Plain-bearing crank from late '54
528/2	1488	70	1953–55	356 1500 S	Higher comp, larger carbs
546	1488	55	1955–57	356 A 1500 (early)	Plain-bearing
546/2	1582	60	1955–59	356 A 1600 (Normal)	Solex 32 PBIC, plain bearing
616/1	1582	60	1957–59	356 A 1600 (Normal)	Successor to 546/2
616/2	1582	75	1956–59	356 A 1600 Super	Roller crank, Zenith 32 NDIX
692/0	1498	100	1955–57	356 A Carrera 1500 GS	Four-cam Fuhrmann, plain crank
692/2	1498	110	1957–58	356 A Carrera GT	Four-cam, dual ignition
692/3	1587	105	1958–59	356 A Carrera de Luxe 1600	Plain-bearing four-cam
692/3A	1587	115	1958–59	356 A Carrera GT 1600	Roller-crank four-cam
616/1	1582	60	1960–63	356 B 1600 (Normal)	T5/T6 body, Zenith 32 NDIX
616/2	1582	75	1960–63	356 B 1600 Super (S75)	Hi-comp, roller crank early
616/7	1582	90	1960–63	356 B 1600 Super 90	Solex 40 PII-4, sodium ex valves
692/3A	1587	115	1960–61	356 B Carrera GT	Four-cam roller crank
587/1	1966	130	1962–63	356 B Carrera 2 (2000 GS)	Four-cam, dry-sump
616/15	1582	75	1963–65	356 C 1600 C	Disc brakes, lower-comp than SC
616/16	1582	95	1963–65	356 SC 1600 SC	Solex 40 PII-4, last pushrod 356
587/2	1966	130	1963–65	356 C Carrera 2 GS	Four-cam, disc brakes

Sources: Porsche factory service literature, Sloniger / Ludvigsen 356 references, and the Porsche 356 Registry engine number archive. Confirm against the engine number range — many codes were used across multiple years.

Power figures are factory-quoted SAE/DIN bhp at the listed market. Many codes were used across multiple model years and markets — always cross-reference the engine number, serial range and the M-plate before ordering parts.