To put it in perspective, that’s a half of what’s considered lightweight by today’s standards. The only upholstered part of the interior was the seats and that Spartan featureless cockpit was more than enough for a mid-1950s racing car.Īs a result of bare-bones philosophy, the Porsche 550 Spyder weighed just around 1300 lb. Even top tier racing consisted of a few works teams, followed by individuals wealthy enough to afford a quick car and daring enough to test its limits. In the early 1950s, racing was still an enthusiasts’ sport, still far from being a multi-billion industry. By sharing his expertise, Ferdinand Porsche secured royalties for his involvement, thus setting up constant income for developing the family-owned company.įerdinand Porsche didn’t get a chance to witness the rise of his name to all-time automotive greatness after suffering a stroke in 1950 and passing on 30 January 1951.īy growing the business abroad and with the Beetle being a best-selling car in post-War Europe, Ferry Porsche guaranteed the growth of his road car business but was aware of the fact that the brand lacked recognition on the race tracks. Meanwhile, the ally-owned Volkswagen needed Ferdinand as a consultant in the Beetle’s development program. The name "little bastard" had been assigned by Dean for the incredible performance of which he was capable.In 1949, the Porsche family returned to Stuttgart and Ferry Porsche managed to resurrect the brand by collecting orders from prospective customers and establishing a network of Volkswagen dealers to offer the 356. The Porsche 550 Spyder has enjoyed a legendary career and was produced in 90 units, including 43 as "car customers".Īmong the 90 550 Spyder produced there is also the "Little Bastard" by James Dean (1931-1955), notorious for being the car on which the American actor found the death in an accident only 9 days after having withdrawn from his dealership. Compact and complex, this engine, designed by Ernest Fuhrman is characterized by the crankshaft with roller bearings and double spark ignition, double cams on top of both sides of the 4-cylinder boxer.
The engine is entrusted to the model 547 of Porsche. Leopold Schmidt brings the 550 to new levels of performance with its wraparound design and "spatial structure" that serves as a passenger compartment. In 1956 the 550A model was built, which is not only the evolution of the previous model, but a revolution. A double, characterized by the couple Von Frakenberg and Storez with an average speed of 264 km per hour. One of the most impressive performances of the small Porsche takes place later in the same year at the 12 hours of Reims in France. The other 550 is second to the finish line (the absolute winners are the Maserati Taruffi, Schell, Behra, Moss drivers). Von Trips and Maglioli reach the fourth place in the overall classification and with this they win the first class victory for Porsche in the category up to 1.5 liters of displacement. In 1956 the official team employed two Porsche 550 Spyder with the baron Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips and Umberto Maglioli and the duo Richard von Frankenberg and Hans Herrmann. A total of 90 were built, of which only 15 in the "550RS" and "550A RS" versions. In November 1954, subjected to the requests after the convincing participation in the Carrera Panamericana of that year, Ferry Porsche decided to start also a production of "550 Spyder" for sporting customers, generally called " 550S" and, subsequently, of road in small series, generally referred to as " 550A". Following that first success, the 550 has racked up 95 wins and 75 class wins out of a total of 370 races.Īfter other participations of the prototypes at some races, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in October 1953, at the Paris Motor Show, 550 Spyder was presented, designed for street competitions that at the time animated the European streets and Americans, with great public success and representing the most effective advertising medium for car manufacturers. The 550 prototype wins its first major competition at the famous Nürburgring Eifel Race in 1953. The 550 Spyder was the first true racing car produced by Porsche to compete in the roadster class. The 550 Spyder is produced between 19, designed for road racing like the Mille Miglia, very popular in those years, both in Europe and in America. The lightness of the car, 590 kg, aerodynamic penetration and good distribution of masses, allow the 550 to reach the speed of 220 km / h, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in less than 10 seconds, maintaining directional agility and great road holding. Porsche 550 Spyder is a classic and iconic roadster model of the German manufacturer, designed in 1953 that comes from the inspiration of the Porsche 356 (without the rigid roof).
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