1955 Porsche 550 Spyder by Wendler

The popularity of this marque has everything to do with its racing prowess than its relation to American actor James Dean. The 550 Porsche Spyder held its own on the world stage at circuits such as Goodwood, Nurburgring and Buenos Aires to name three, and as a result of its success against larger and more powerful cars from Ferrari, Jaguar and Maserati and Aston-Martin, the 550 Porsche Spyder was nicknamed the ‘Giant Killer’.

The 550 Spyder was first introduced at the 1953 Paris Auto Show. The initial 550 Spyders were fitted with the conventional Volkswagen derived engines before approval was given for the new engine, nicknamed ‘Drawer motor,’ to be installed. The new engine, courtesy of Dr. Ernst Fuhrman who headed engine design, soon proved its worth. It was an all-alloy unit displacing 1,498 cc’s with DOHC, a roller-bearing crankshaft and dual ignition, enabling the 550 Spyder to reach top speeds of 140-mph depending on gearing.

The 550 Spyder featured here, chassis 550-0068, was first introduced to the world at the 1955 Frankfurt Auto Show. It is one of 75 factory built ‘customer’ 550 Spyders. This Porsche produces 110-bhp from a 1,488 cc DOHC air-cooled horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine on a four speed manual transmission. Under the ownership of Mike Marshall this 550 Porsche Spyder did credit to the marque’s nickname in a number of races on the US circuit as well as the 1956 Sebring 12 hours.

The car changed owners five more times before the current owner acquired it in 1999. It was maintained exceptionally well and is eligible for vintage tours and rallies. It will be auctioned on February 3 2016 in Paris with the likes of other classic vehicles such as the 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica. It is expected to sell for no less than $2.2 million.