1955 Porsche 550 RS Spyder Spyder

In the mid-1950's, in races from Sebring to LeMans, Torrey Pines to Watkins Glen, the 550 Spyder was the car of choice among many professionals and wealthy amateur drivers for winning the 1500cc sports car class. Many of the greatest race drivers of the 1960's posted their early successes in 550 Spyders.

About 90 cars were built before the 550 was replaced by the 550A in 1956. The 550A had a lighter, stiffer tubular space frame and altered rear suspension. An additional 39 550A's were built through 1957.

From the date first sold, chassis 550 041 has been a competitive race car through various owners/drivers. Most notable would have been the Dutch Count, Carel Godin de Beaufort who raced the Spyder extensively including a 196 run at the LeMans 24 Hours race with his good friend, Thieu Hazemans. De Beaufort would go on to be considered Grand Prix racing's last true amateur. A colorful sportsman with a determination to beat the works teams on his own, Carel was a popular figure in the F1, F2 and sports car paddocks. Often, his Porsches were seen battling faster cars, events which eventually led to De Beaufort becoming Holland's first F1 World Championship points scorer.

The Porsche 550 made its racing debut in 1953 at the Nürburgring where the methanol-fueled Spyder (chassis number 001) was driven to victory by Helmut Glöckler. Later that year, chassis numbers 001 and 002 captured class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and the Buenos Aires 1000 Km. An updated 550A driven by Umberto Maglioli won the Targa Florio in 1956.

This particular example, chassis number 0041, was completed in May 1955 and wore a silver paint scheme with red darts and upholstery. Mounted midship was a type 547 four-cam engine (no. 90037) and four-speed transaxle (no. 10031). The Porsche was delivered new to German racing driver Richard Trenkel who immediately entered it in the Rhein Cup Race at Hockenheim, placing 4th overall. He raced it through July 1955 before selling it to Mathieu Hezemans, a Dutch car dealer and racing driver. It continued to be raced in a variety of European events throughout 1955, with notable results including a win at the Zandvoort Sports Car Races, a 13th Place finish at the Nürburgring 500 Km, and 9th Overall at the Avus Grand Prix of Berlin.

During the 1956 season, Hezemens shared driving duties with Count Carel Godin de Beaufort. Events contested in 1956 include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nürburgring 1000 Km, and Swedish Grand Prix, as well as regional events at Avus, Solitude, and Zandvoort.

Sometime after late 1957 and 1960, chassis 550-0041 was exported to the US and ended up on the Bill Murphy Buick used car lot in Culver City, California. Bill Eichler acquired the Spyder in 1960 and shortly thereafter enlisted Vasek Polak Porsche to remove the original four-cam engine and install a 1500 Super pushrod engine. In June 1962, Mr. Eichler sold 550-0041 to Gary Cooper, who kept it for the next 22 years, using it as a weekend driver and event car. In 1984, the Porsche was sold to Bill Perrone, who, in the 1980s, treated the car to a restoration and installed the current four-cam engine (an unnumbered unit rebuilt to more powerful RSK specifications). The work was completed in 1992 and was then shown at the 37th PCA Porsche Parade in San Diego, and then won on its first outing at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca. Later that year, the Porsche was involved in a racing accident, with repairs handled by Bruce Kimmins of Lake Havasu, Arizona. Further mechanical improvements were made at this time, with engine work overseen by four-cam specialist Al Cadrobbi, working in tandem with his chief mechanic, Jim Ansite. Mr. Perrone also managed to acquire 550-0041's damaged, original matching-numbers engine case, no. 90037, which currently remains with the car.

In 1998, chassis 550-0041 returned to Monterey for the Porsche 50th anniversary celebration. It was a double winner that weekend, placing first in its group at the historic races on Saturday and then capturing the Road & Track trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday.

Mr. Perrone campaigned the Porsche in multiple editions of the Monterey Historics and the Coronado Speed Festival, as well as Rennsport Reunion II. Additionally, he displayed the 550 Spyder at the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Los Angeles Auto Show, and entered it in several concours including the 2007 PCA Porsche Parade in San Diego and the 2011 Porsche Race Car Classic in Carmel, California.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024