1955 Porsche 550 RS Spyder Spyder

The 1.5-liter Porsche 550 Spyder, built in limited numbers, are among the most mythical Porsches of all time. They forged a legacy in competition, driven by legendary drivers, at many important road races.

This particular example was constructed during the summer of 1955. It returned to Werk I from Karrosserie Wendler that July, with its aluminum body painted blue with white tail stripes and the cockpit trimmed in beige vinyl. Power was originally supplied by a type 547 four-cam engine, numbered 90063, and mated to a four-speed transaxle, numbered 10051. The car was completed in August of 1955 and test-drive by Herr Mimler before being prepared for delivery to the United States.

The early history of the car is not fully known; in the early 1960s it was discovered by Lou Hilton on a used-car lot in Worcester, Massachusetts. The car would remain in Mr. Hilton's care until it was sold in 1998 to Joel Horvitz of Massachusetts. Mr. Hilton had repainted the 550 Spyder once in its original blue during the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Mr. Jerry Seinfeld acquired the 550 Spyder from Mr. Horvitz's estate, assisted by Alex Finigan of Paul Russell and Company, in January of 2007. At the time, the car had covered just 9,896 miles from new. Since then, it has been driven less than 500 additional miles. While in the Seinfeld Collection, the Spyder has been exhibited on rare occasions. In 2009, it was featured in the Porsche Exhibition Hall at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and in 2012 it was loaned to Porsche for a special display in Pebble Beach during the Concours weekend.

The car remains in original condition, with well-preserved upholstery and decades-old blue paint. It has the correct banjo steering wheel and three large VDO gauges. In the front compartment is the painted aluminum fuel tank, with original felt under the securing straps and a VDO sending unit dated February 1955.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2016