Mythical 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

By 1953, Porsche had been successful racing its 356, but understood that a purpose-built race car would be needed to compete at motor sport’s highest levels. The resulting 550 Spyder, featuring lightweight aluminum bodywork and a powerful four-cam Carrera engine, was one of the most successful race cars of the mid-1950s, scoring numerous class victories and significant overall wins, establishing Porsche’s reputation as a giant killer.

The design’s brilliance was apparent from chassis 550-001’s very first race in 1953, when Helmut Glöckler proved victorious at the Nürburgring after battling unrelenting rain in his methanol-fueled Spyder. That same year, chassis 001 and 002 captured significant class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and the Buenos Aires 1000 Km. In 1956, Umberto Maglioli gave Porsche its first overall victory in a major international competition when his updated 550A won the Targa Florio outright.