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THE PORSCHE 550 SPYDER, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY:- The Porsche 550 Spyder was inspired by the original Porsche 356. From 1951, Porsche 356 prototypes were built and raced by Walter Glockler. His successes led to Porsche’s decision to build the first Porsche specifically developed for racing, the 550. The engine was based on the VW Beetle flat-4. It had shaft-driven, twin overhead camshafts, a roller-bearing crankshaft and dual ignition. Displacement was 1498 cc for the 1.5-liter class. Fed by a pair of Solex carbs, it produced 110 bhp at 6200 rpm. With an aluminum, monocoque body maximized for compactness, aerodynamics and lightness, the car weighed around 1300 lb. All the factory 550 Spyders were silver in color. The first three were hand-built prototypes. 550-03 raced as a roadster at the Nurburgring Eifel Race in May 1953, winning its first race. 550-05 was introduced to the general public at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. Over the following years, The Werks Porsche team evolved and raced the 550 with outstanding success and it was recognized wherever it appeared. With the 550, Porsche was the first manufacturer to organize, external, racing sponsorship. The Porsche 550 Spyder became an active participant on European and US championship circuits between 1953 and as late as 1965. Starting in over 370 races, with approximately 95 overall wins and an additional 75 class wins, the Spyder dominated and/or embarrassed more powerful cars from the prestigious racing stables. The cars were well represented at famous circuits around the world and soon became the racing car of choice for privateers, earning the reputation of ‘Giant Killer’. Only 90 cars were built with 78 being sold to the public for motor sport purposes. For such a limited number of builds, the 550 Spyder was always in a winning position, usually finishing in the top three in its class. The beauty of the 550 was that it could be driven to the track, raced and then driven home which showed its incredible flexibility. THE JAMES DEAN SAGA:- For the younger among us, James Dean was a movie idol of the fifties. He starred in the major, movie successes East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause and Giant with the film stars of the day including Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Dennis Hopper and others. However, his passion was racing. After a succession of fast cars, motorbikes, street and track races, in 1955, he traded his Porsche Super Speedster for a brand new Porsche Spyder 550....
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