1953 Porsche 550 at the Portland Art Museum

Portland Art Museum

The Cars

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1930 Bentley Speed Six

1931 Duesenberg Model SJ

1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow

1937 Bugatti Type 57S

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B

1938 Hispano Suiza H6C

1939 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS

1948 Tucker 48

1953 Porsche 550

1954 Plymouth Explorer Concept

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR

1957 Jaguar XKSS

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer

1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competition

Information on the 1953 Porsche 550

More photographs of the 1953 Porsche 550

By the early fifties, Porsche found that modified production cars could no longer win races. The Gmund coupes had begun the marques sporting and tradition. Franfort VW distributor and friend of the house of Porsche, Walter Glockler had followed with his homemade specials. It was Porsche themselves designed a car specifically for racing.

The 1498cc flat-four, air-cooled, pushrod engine, mounted midship, was 'improved' for higher horsepower then fitted with twin-choke Solex 40 PII downdraft carburetors. An external oil cooler in the nose joined the wet-sump lubrication system. Weidenhausen of Frankfurt provided the alloy bodies for the two cars readied for the 1953 season. The first car (SN 550-01) completed was a roadster and finished 1st in its first race at Nurburgring.

At LeMans, Hans Hermann joined Helm Glockler (Walter's cousin) and two driver-journalists - Richard Von Frankenbert and Paul Frere and took 550-02. During practice both cars realized 124 mph on the Mulsanne straight. The two cars finished the race within a lap of each other after the entire 24 hours and crossed the finish line at the same interval at which they started. The 550-02 was awarded the win and both the 1500cc class and record.

The cars raced at the Carrera Panamericana Road Race in Mexico where the 550-02 took first in class, then at the 1000-Kilometer Race in Buenos Aires where the 550-01 won, and both ran Sebring and other races. The 550 showed that these Porsches were serious about racing.

Also photographed at :

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance >> Carrera PanAmericana

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance >> Racing

Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance >> Porsche

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