When the original Audi TT was being styled, one of the inspirations was the Porsche 356 and other rounded sports coupes of the 50s and 60s—-sculpted in terms of retro-futurist form and design. Last night when I parked on 47th and Park Ave. I saw this excellent example of a 356 and my TT parked right behind it. A stunning combination—-and a reminder of how classic design should be: clean, timeless, and beautiful. Automobiles can be art. I’m also struck at how the TT is not that much larger than the 356, which is great considering how bloated ‘modern’ cars are becoming these days.
IEDEI 
what an incredible coincidence!
The Audi TT ( series 1 ) was probably the last automotive design to make it straight from the designers ( Freeman Thomas ) drawing board – to concept – to production with nary a visible change …… inside or out .
FYI -Freeman Thomas has gone on in great lengths about how much the Porsche 356 ( his personal favorite car and daily driver ) influenced his TT design ( don’t believe the hype and internet blather … Thomas was the designer ) Both the R&T Audi TT special edition and the D&D Audi TT book give many referential drawings showing this . Several recent interviews with Mr Thomas do the same
Yup ! The Audi TT – Series One , was one heck of a design . Darn fine car ( if I were to ignore all my personal Audi USA foibles ) as well . Want a good laugh ? I can ( borrowed a TT for a weekend before buying the S4 Avant ) stick all my gear ( 2 acoustic guitars / amp / gig case / stands and suitcases for two ) and the wife in one for a 4 day gig/trip . Practical and Fun . Now there’s a combo thats hard to come by these days 😉
The picture would have been perfect if you had a silver TT!
The 356 undoubtedly had a huge influence on Freeman Thomas’ design of the mark 1 TT. Forget all the fanciful comparisons with Bauhaus design – the iconic shape of this car is full of Porsche DNA and it had nothing in common with the Auto Union race cars of the 1930s.
The TT is a common sight these days and it is easy to forget how radical it first appeared when it showed up as a concept in the mid 90s. Motoring hacks who weren’t sure how to respond described the TT as having ‘polarising’ looks. History has since been kind to the TT and in my opinion it has set the high water mark in car design at the end of the last century.