The
550 Spyder followed from the earlier sales success of the 356 Speedster,
itself the first production car to bear the Porsche name. Engineers realized
that the 356 had a number of shortcomings when raced. The steel body was
too heavy and the monocoque structure was too flexible. So when Porsche
wanted a more competitive production race car, they returned to the original
356 prototype, built in 1948, which had used a space-frame separate chassis
and had the engine mounted in front of the rear axle.
Work started in late 1952,
and by spring 1953 a single mid-engined Type 550 was ready to go racing. It
was a simple design: ladder frame with six cross members made of welded tubes
and fitted with a hand-built aluminum body. The Volkswagen-based Super 1500
opposed four-cylinder engine was mounted inboard of the rear axle, giving
the design nearly 50/50 front/rear weight distribution with a driver aboard.
At the Paris motor show
in October 1953 Porsche unveiled a mid-engine, two-seat production car prototype
based on the race cars and called the Type 550. Actual production 550 Spyders
didn't reach the market until October 1954. The origin of the name is said
to be attributed to American Porsche importer Johnny Von Neuman.
In 1956 Porsche renewed
the 550 chassis and re-designed the car in the process. A lighter, stiffer
space frame produced the 550A, weighing just 1170 pounds. The 550A won a
1,000-kilometer endurance race at Nurburgring and finished first in the Targa
Florio. The 550A ceased factory-supported racing in 1958, leaving its own
legend behind and establishing the Porsche brand worldwide.
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550 SPYDER HISTORY
The
engine delivered only 70 horsepower in street trim and didn't frighten the
Jaguars or Ferraris of the day. However 550-01 won its class in its first
race at the Nurburgring. A second car was built and 550-01 and -02s scored
a one-two class finish in the Le Mans 24 Hours. The same cars went on to triumph
in the Carrera Panamericana, the race which gave the Porsche the model name
they still use today on cars directly descended from the 550.
Porsche engineers set about
making the 550 better. Ernst Fuhrman was commissioned to build a better engine
and the result was the Type 547, a quad-cam engine that produced 110 horsepower
at 7800 rpm, almost double the power of the stock 1500. The Fuhrman-designed
engine, though complex, proved very reliable even in long-distance events.
Before the 550 series was retired, the engine was tweaked to deliver 135 horsepower
at a slightly less frenetic 7200 rpm.
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HERE or call+ 1 303 413 1100 for
more information on any car.
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to request a brochure
