Makes › Porsche › 550 Spyder · Factory competition · 1953–1956 Extremely Rare
Porsche
550 Spyder
Customer mid-engined four-cam racing spyder; road-registrable.
Photo: David Merrett from Daventry, England · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 89 Built
- Years
- 1953–1956
- Engine
- Type 547 four-cam Carrera · 1,500 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,500 cc
- Power
- 82 kW / 112 PSFactory: 110 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 550 Spyder was Porsche's first purpose-built customer racing car and the debut of the four-cam engine that later gave the Carrera name to Porsche road cars. Only 90 customer cars were built, and they dominated the under-1.5-litre class in mid-1950s sports car racing.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Porsche 550 Spyder (Wikimedia Commons: Porsche 550 Spyder)
Photo: David Merrett from Daventry, England · CC BY 2.0
Porsche 550 Spyder (Wikimedia Commons: Porsche 550 Spyder)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionType 550 Spyders built from 1953 | 891,2Strongest evidence | Manufacturer reported | Disputed |
Sources differ: Porsche Newsroom says 89 Type 550 cars made, RM Sotheby's says 90 customer 550 Spyders manufactured 1953–1956.
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Built from 1953 to 1956 with Wendler bodywork on a simple tubular chassis with torsion-bar suspension, the 550 used a 1,500 cc four-cam engine that was soon known as the Carrera. By the end of 1954 it had taken class wins at Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana, becoming the car to beat in the under-1,500 cc class. Later cars received a reinforced 'high frame' for extra rigidity. Many customer cars were raced by privateers in American SCCA events.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 550 Spyder.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Type 547 four-cam Carrera3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Type 5473 Independently researched |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 1,500 cc / 1.5 LFactory: 1,500 cc3 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | Double overhead camshafts (four-cam), roller-bearing crankshaft, dry-sump, twin ignition3 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Solex 40 PII carburettors4 Independently researched |
| Power | 82 kW / 112 PSFactory: 110 hp · converted3 Independently researchedStated as bhp. Gooding lists an estimated 150 BHP at 6,200 rpm for a car with an updated 718-style 1,680 cc engine; that is not a standard 550 value. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | 45 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Tubular chassis3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Torsion bars3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Independent, torsion bars with trailing arms and shock absorbers5 Independently researchedSource states one layout for the whole car. |
| Brakes | Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes5 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Wendler coachwork3 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 550 kgFactory: 550 kg6 Independently researchedSource says "weight"; type is not specified. RM 550-0082 lot says approximately 550 kg. |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Genuine cars carry a 550-00xx chassis number with engine and gearbox numbers that match the factory build record; auction-documented examples also come with matching numbered keys, German registration papers or FIVA identity cards. Wendler bodywork and period details such as Solex 40 PII carburettors and 16-inch wheels are expected on original cars.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Time travel: The Porsche 718 Level A Porsche Newsroom · 2016-06-04
- built beginning in 1953 (89 cars made)
-
2
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder by Wendler | RM Sotheby’s Munich 2024 Level B
- 90 customer 550 Spyders manufactured 1953–1956
-
3
1956 Porsche 550 RS Spyder by Wendler, chassis 550-0082 (lot r0022) Level C RM Sotheby's
- correct Type 547 Carrera 1500
- Type 547 DOHC engine designed by Dr Ernst Fuhrmann
- 1,500-cubic-centimeter four-cam engine
- roller-bearing motors with dry-sump lubrication and twin ignition
- developed a solid 110 bhp
- simple yet effective tubular chassis
- torsion-bar suspension
- Wendler-bodied 550 Spyder customer car
-
4
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder by Wendler (Munich 2024) Level C RM Sotheby's
- delivered with Solex 40 PII carburettors
-
5
1956 Porsche 550 Spyder, chassis 550-0079 (lot 5) Level C Gooding & Company
- 4-Speed Manual Transaxle (Technical Specs)
- Fully Independent Torsion-Bar Suspension with Trailing Arms (Technical Specs)
- 4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes (Technical Specs)
-
6
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, chassis 0054 (lot r0159) Level C RM Sotheby's
- weight of just 550 kilograms
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