For Bids: Classic 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder

The Porsche 550 Spyder, Porsche’s first purpose-built race car, made its presence known on the international stage by winning its class at Le Mans in 1955. By the time the vintage Porsche 550 Spyder took first at at the 1956 Targa Florio, it had set its legacy in stone on the 1950s motorsports world.

Equipped with a 1500cc DOHC Flat 4 Carrera engine, the classic Porsche 550 Spyder regularly outperformed cars of much higher displacement ( including certain iconic red cars from a special Maranello factory), earning it the nickname, “giant-killer.”

Equipped with a 1500cc DOHC Flat 4 Carrera engine, the classic Porsche 550 Spyder (and its subsequent descendant, the 550A) regularly outperformed cars of much higher displacement

For Bids: Classic 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder

Up for bids at Mecum auction, is a classic 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder. One of 39 built, this vintage Porsche 550A Spyder was originally delivered to Salzburg, Austria in March of 1958 and was reputedly a Piech family-owned car that was raced in competition by the Porsche Salzburg team. That same year, it achieved 1st overall at GP Circuit d’Opatija, Yugoslavia and 1st in class at both Flugplatz Zeltweg and Innsbruck Flugplatz, Austria.

An updated of the venerable Porsche 550, the 550A Spyder incorporated a series of technical improvements including a tubular space frame to replace the ladder frame for increased structural rigidity, a 5-speed transmission to replace the previous 4-speed unit, and 15-inch wheels with wider offset that stood in place of the 16-inch wheels, thus providing both a lower center of gravity as well as an increased contact patch area.

This classic 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder is in pristine precision thanks to meticulous 30-year restoration. This stunning work of restoration on the vintage Porsche Spyder by the Kimmins brothers of Lake Havasu, Arizona, uncovers bare metal aluminium bodywork panels for maximum aesthetic impact.

The Porsche 5-speed manual transmission, mechanical systems and Flat 4 engine, were restoration by noted Porsche expert Bill Doyle of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Although equal in displacement to the standard 1500cc Porsche, the 4-cam Carrera produces approximately 2.5 times the horsepower as its pushrod brethren. The engine in the 550A-0141 Spyder is authentic and built to exacting Porsche RennWerks specifications. With less than 600 miles since restoration, this Mecum auctions classic 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder featuring the original VDM steering wheel and all five original riveted 15-inch wheels, is the ultimate collectible and investment asset, eligible for FIA sanctioned vintage racing events or exhibition at a Concours d’Elegance.

In terms of provenance, after its 1950s European racing tour, the classic 550A-0141 Spyder was returned to Porsche KG, reconditioned and then sold to a Connecticut Porsche dealer and road-racer Harry Blanchard who entered it in SCCA regional events along the east coast. It would ultimately go through a string of private owners before its current steward, Steve Terrien, of Issaquah, Washington, who located the classic car in a warehouse in 1984.

Arguably one of the most significant Porsches in existence, this is a stunning specimen. Bid Mecum Auctions