Porsche 550 Spyder

Porsche are, quite frankly, leaps and bounds above most other car makers when it comes to the breathtaking beauty of their classic cars and there is no better example of this than the spectacular Porsche 550 Spyder available to purchase from German luxury car specialists, Schaltkulisse. This majestic looking machine was built in 1956 and looks as good today (if not better) than the day it rolled off the production line.

The Porsche 550 Spyder from Schaltkulisse is a POA lot which, needless to say, means it’s not going to go for any small amount of money but, when you look as good as it does, that is not in the least bit surprising. The 550 Spyder was first presented to the public in 1953 at the Paris Motor Show and it was the first official racing car from the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen. Purpose built to win races, this glorious Porsche had all the characteristics to take on and beat far stronger competitors.

Storied History

This particular Porsche 550 Spyder from Schaltkulisse has the Chassis # 550-0089 and it is the penultimate of a total of 32 pieces that left the factory in 1956. It was specially built for “John von Neumann”, the owner of “Competition Motors” in California which was a Porsche dealership with its own racing team. Equipped with numerous modifications ex works, # 550-0089 was a special feature and these included the large oval grill at the rear, two air scoops on the bonnet and the two rear fenders.

The Porsche 550 Spyder from Schaltkulisse was instrumental in introducing Porsche in California and building the German carmaker’s reputation in the USA based on the motto “win on sunday, sell on monday”. Legendary racing drivers such as Ken Miles, Phil Hill, Jack McAfee and Paul Richard “Richie” Ginther successfully drove various cars from John von Neumann’s racing team and adds a racing history to this amazing lot from Schaltkulisse.

This 550 Spyder eventually found its way into the hands of the racing driver Jack West, who took part in more than 20 races in the following two years. With starting number # 141 Jack took second place in his class (BM-EM) in the “Race of Hourglass Field” in San Diego in 1957, and in 1958 he took first place in his class in the “Tracy Sports Cars Race” (FM, Unlimited ), third place in “Laguna Seca” and again first place in the “Minden Gardnerville Airport Race” which was also his last race with # 141.

Famous Owners

This magnificent looking steed was allegedly owned by the racing legend “Ken Miles” before finding its way into the well-known Dutch Porsche collection of Albert Westermann (State of Art). Among other things, Mr. Westermann competed in the “Mille Miglia” in 2009 so it has been involved in some recent races as well as some classic ones.

The 550 Spyder from Schaltkulisse still has the original gearbox # 10091 installed, in combination with a 356 Carrera engine with Spyder specification (type 547/1) # 90089. This historic Porsche is ideally suited for both classic car tours and rallies, as well as for races at the most iconic events on the racing calendar such as the Mille Miglia, Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival.