Spyder 550 550A

[JOP]

They run bikes from 125 cc, 250, 350, 500 plus the cars on the same day!
Hans Herrmann in # 10

[Type550]

Thanks JOP - it was doing my head in to work out who they were and I thought the leathers they were wearing was advanced for the time! Did they run bike events at the same time as the car events?

Here is von Frankenberg in the first race of the Porsche 645 'Mickey Mouse' which finished 4th. So much potential in this car to be the new design, but after the crash at AVUS, it was decided the RSK design was a better option

[JOP]

[Type550]

I bought a roll of 36 shots at auction of the 1956 Solitude race. Lots of great photos of both the cars and the winners. Still trying to identify the winners on the podium..?

[356]

Love that painting.

An early one at the paddock.
~Vance

[Porschinelle]

For the small history 550-012 driven by the Belgian team Pierre Stasse/Johnny Claes finish 12th overall (strange similitude) first in class and first Porsche at the 1954 Le Mans

[Porschinelle]

Found that interesting photo of Rolf Wutherich (ex James dean mecanic) sitting on 550-012 after the arrival of the 1954 Le Mans 24 hours race
Rolf is the young guy sitting left

Rolf Wutherich born in 1927 in Heilbronn a small city close to Stuttgart join Porsche as mechanic in 1950
He was the 42 nd mecanics to join Porsche
He attended as mechanic several races in Europe in 1953 and 1954 before to be sent to the US by Porsche early 1955 to help John Neumann at Competitors Motors California
He met James Dean there and became friend (and may be more as rumours says that both James and Rolf were gay)
As you certainly know, Rolf survive from James Dean crash
Although John Neumann insure that he got the best hospital treatment he never recover completely and suffering from severe psylogolical problems he was sack by John Neumannby end 1956
He establish himself as a freelance Porsche mecanic but never got success and by end 1956 he came back to Germany where Porsche accept him back in the in their testing department
He only came back twice to the US in 1957 and 1958 as a mecanic in the Porsche team at the Sebring 12 hours race
Some years later he reveal him to be a good co-pilot and was entered by Porsche in several races including the 1965 and 1966 Monte Carlo Rallye
More and more affected by depression and suicidal tendencies he was sack definitely by Porsche in 1968
From his departure from Porsche in 1968 to his death in a car crash in 1981 he never really recover a serious job as in addition to his psycological problems he started to drink too much he defect he was suffering from long as seen on this pic showing him drinking strong alcohol at the the 1966 Monte Carlo arrival

[356]

[Henk Vasmel]

Olivier and Veuillet drove 550-0032 (#3 and finished 1st
Jeser and Bousquet drove 550-0016 (#51) and finished 2nd
Balsa and Mougin drove 550-0027 (#39) and DNF

[Type550]

[Type550]

Olivier and Veuillet drove 550-0032 (#3 and finished 1st
Jeser and Bousquet drove 550-0016 (#51) and finished 2nd
Balsa and Mougin drove 550-0027 (#39) and DNF

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

Some more home work for Andrew

I found the below photos in an Italian fashion women magazine named Grazia
Most of them seems to have been taken in the US
Could you tell more about these

[Porschinelle]

Found in the net another pic of that race

Car race number 32 is Hernano "Nano" Da Silva Ramos Gordini who lead the race for some hours before to have to stop 2 hours in the pits in order to repair defectuous brakes and finally finish 4th overall behind the two 550 and a Maserati
52 cars sta

[Porschinelle]

When re reading what I wrote found a big mistake
Annie Bousquet shared Josef Jeser 550 not Jesper
If I remember well my Porsche history, Annie Bousquet was not filling well and Josef Jeser drove 23 hours out of the 24

Another remark : the 1955 Paris 24 hours were not a success regarding the spectators number
Very few were there at the start of the race on Saturday and came by number on Sunday to find that 2/3rd of the starting cars were out
Therefore starting from 1956 the Paris monthlery race was changed into a 1000 kilometers race ie a 7-8 hours race in one day only