Production chronology1953
Sourced production or model lifecycle range used by the main catalog timeline.
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Porsche / Model record
Porsche542
Production1953
Recorded originGermany
Background
Porsche 542 or Studebaker Z-87 was a prototype made by Porsche for Studebaker in 1953. The first prototype Porsche 530, a four-seat version of the Porsche 356, was rejected. The new prototype got a different engine, a 3.0 liter, 120 degree V6, unusual for 1953. Two versions were developed, one air cooled 542L and one water cooled 542W. After testing, the water cooled engine was judged more practical as it gave slightly better performance at 105 horsepower and was also lighter. It was a sedan with independent suspension front and rear, also unusual for the time.
Text adapted from “Porsche 542” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07
Chronology ledger
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Record depth — Documented
How this is measured → This record contains useful sourced evidence, but it does not yet meet the reference-ready standard. Still needed: technical or production facts, attributed imagery. Fields we cannot source stay empty rather than guessed.