Spyder 550 550A

[Type550]

Slowly getting one of each chassis number as original prints/slides...

A few more added to the collection

#333 is the Factory owned 550-0064



#6 is 550-0032



Silver spyder is 550-15

[Type550]

1956 Palm Springs
#89 Jack McAfee in 550-0047
#88 Pete Lovely in 550A-0104 closest

[356]

Great photo Andrew, Thanx!

[Type550]

The last photo you posted begs to question...
With the werks cars for the 1955 LeMans
#37 - 550-0046
#62 - 550-0047
#49 - 550-0048
they were all fitted with the external oil filler cap to the side of the engine bay



Going back to the photo of #26 (550-0077) at the 1956 12 h Reims, I believe it is one of these cars

[Type550]

This is Suzy Dietrich in 550-0077 at Cumberland Race SCCA in May 1957 - different car...

[356]

Interesting, Are you 100% certain that is 0077 that Suzy is pictured in?

0077 as well?? Thanks again Andrew.

[Type550]

I am having so many issues with race results at the moment

I believe they are the same car but with the modification of the hole in the sides.

This is another issue I have - 550-0089

Ginther was first to own the car (after racing in 06, 09 (most races), 13 and 0047) - he was the only one who raced under #211. When he bought 550-0089 he made modifications to the body cutting unique gills in it. I know this is 0089 as I have a photo of the rear during restoration showing the gills repaired and also the deck scoops.







Ginther only raced 3 races in 0089 - 2 of them above. I have another photo of him in a white 550 which isn't any of the above spyders chassis #s he raced in.



Is this when he raced in the last race at the Cotati Rose Festival? - I don't think so as they did not restore cars like that back then when you only have raced it 4 times...

So which 550 is this one?

[JTR70]

Andrew, If you don't know the answer how in the world anyone else know?

Beautiful series of louvers on the top photo of 211. I've never seen a photo of that one before. I assume that tired clamshell is one in the same as I think I see an old patch there following the shape and size of said louvers.

[Type550]

I always thought the photo of the 550 rear was of 550-09, but like anything you can't take anything on face value and the restoration photo was one that I have had for a while, but only found it recently when I was cleaning up all my files. Now trying to link my 2000 odd vintage race photos to chassis numbers is creating quite a headache as they constantly conflict with what is documented in the Carrera book. Hopefully after my trip to LA and RRV catching up with a number of owners I will be able to get a heap more documents and images that might help sort some of them out...

[356]

[vhelmle]

I am having so many issues with race

This is another issue I have - 550-0089

Ginther was first to own the car (after racing in 06, 09 (most races), 13 and 0047) - he was the only one who raced under #211. When he bought 550-0089 he made modifications to the body cutting unique gills in it. I know this is 0089 as I have a photo of the rear during restoration showing the gills repaired and also the deck scoops.







Ginther only raced 3 races in 0089 - 2 of them above. I have another photo of him in a white 550 which isn't any of the above spyders chassis #s he raced in.



Is this when he raced in the last race at the Cotati Rose Festival? - I don't think so as they did not restore cars like that back then when you only have raced it 4 times...

So which 550 is this one?

The photo of the white car with smiley face is identified at 95 Customs website White car and text as a von Neumann car and it is implied that the race was sometime in 1954-1956 when Ginther raced for von Neumann. Another website, Vintage Sportscar Photos Vintage Sportscars -Search on Ginther

[Type550]

Hi Vietta,

as you can see from the upright headlights, the car looks like 550-09 - it is not 0089

[vhelmle]

Hi Vietta,

as you can see from the upright headlights, the car looks like 550-09 - it is not 0089

Hello Andrew and Everyone,

Steve Heinrichs has asked me to respond to this post. We certainly agree: This photo must be 550-09. This makes sense and it is unlikely that this is Cotati. Given this correction, we think it is probably June 1956 Buchanan Field. Alternatively, it may be March 1956 Stockton. Weiss and Ginther were at both races.



Thanks for the correction.

Vietta

[356]

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