Season’s end found the cars on their way to Guatemala and a group of Porsche enthusiasts headed by Jaroslav Juhan who raced them in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico (550-02 took its class) and the 1000-Kilometer Race in Buenos Aires (550-01 won) as well as at Sebring, among other races. Le Mans scorers abhorred a tie, so a little more distance was found for 550-02, and the journalists took both the 1500 cc class and a new record. The two cars were within a lap of each other for the entire 24 hours and crossed the finish line at the same interval at which they started. Still, claustrophobia, the lack of ventilation, and an almost unbearable noise level were inconveniences grudgingly endured for the speed advantage. During practice with coupe tops fitted, the Porsches realized 124 mph on the Mulsanne straight but at a hellish price for the drivers. Victory the first time out for any race car is a good thing.Īt Le Mans, Hans Hermann joined Helm Glöckler in 550-01 and two driver-journalists –Richard von Frankenberg and Paul Frère – took 550-02. Because it rained, Helm Glöckler (Walter’s cousin) would have preferred the display car to have had its hardtop but he fought the wet weather, Borgward and EMW, as well as carburetion problems – and won. With Le Mans in mind, a coupe was planned, but the first car finished competed as a roadster in its initial race at the Nürburgring. Like Glöckler, Porsche contracted Weidenhausen of Frankfurt for the alloy bodies of the two cars being readied for the 1953 season. The 4-cam Porsche engine developed twice the power compared to the single-cam unit based on the pre-war Volkswagen design (which was also a Porsche design). Compared to the “regular” 1500 cc engine in the 356, the Fuhrmann 1500 didn’t have anything in common with it. Although with just 4 cylinders, the engine was really complicated and took a lot of time to build. It was a flat DOHC engine, meaning it had 4 overhead camshafts like the Porsche type 360 design for Formula 1. A really special engine was developed for it, engineered by Ernst Fuhrmann. The car was completely street legal, so it could be driven to the races and back home. The 550 was Porsche’s first production racing car. It was time Porsche themselves designed a car specifically for racing. Frankfurt VW distributor Walter Glöckler and friend of the house of Porsche had followed with his eigenbau (homemade) specials. The Gmünd coupes had begun the marque’s sporting tradition. The Story & Historyīy the early fifties Porsche found that modified production cars would no longer win races. The 550 Spyder was also famous because actor James Dean crashed his new 550 on a California highway and it ended his life. The 550 Spyder enjoyed a storied career, with 90 examples being built. Following that victory, the 550 went on to claim 95 victories and 75 class wins over a total of 370 races. In fact, the third 550 prototype and first 550 to race won its first event at the famed Nürburgring Eifel Race in 1953. More details at needed a race car to compete in the roadster class, and that’s just what the 550 Spyder did at a time when production cars could no longer win. The auction takes place on Sunday, September 3. Gooding describes the car as being delivered to the auction in “as found” condition, and has placed an estimate of £1.2m to £1.75m on it. It came to the UK in 1982 to form part of an extensive collection, but aside from two appearances at the Oldtimer Grand Prix and a historic race at Zolder, it hasn’t been seen for 35 years. These changes included a factory engine and RS60 bodywork.Īccording to paperwork with the car, Swiss F1 winner Jo Siffert owned the car for some time, and it was also in the hands of Herbert Kuke for a while, too. In the 1960s, 550-079 was upgraded with factory ‘werks’ components to boost the car to then-current specifications. It was then sold to another racing driver, Edouard Margairaz, who used it to tackle Swiss hillclimb events.
Porsche 550 spyder driver#
After a brief time with the car, she passed it onto fellow Swiss driver Heinz Schiller, who raced the car across Europe, most notably at Monza and Avus. WORDS: NATHAN CHADWICK | PHOTOGRAPHY: MATHIEU HEURTAULTĪ barn-find 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder is due to be auctioned at Gooding & Co’s Hampton Court Concours of Elegance sale in London in September 2022.Ĭhassis 550-079 was first sold to Swiss racing driver Rita Rampinelli in red with white darts.
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