Spyder 550 550A

[Type550]

This is how the car is promoted as:

1959 Porsche 550 Durlite MkIII
Bob Webb was asked by Bob Staples of Indianapolis to build a second car inspired by the Durlite Special, following the crash of his Porsche 550 in the summer of 1959. Spyder (550-0059 chassis) from 1955.

The Porsche 550 Spyder of 1955, chassis 550-0059 and bodied by Wendler, was produced on August 12, 1955, equipped with the Flat 4 engine No. 90064 and the gearbox No. 10052. Released on July 1, 1955 to Max Hoffman in the United States (the Porsche importer of the time), it originally had a white body with red seats. She was later sold to Bob Staples to drive in SCCA in 1958 under number 71 at the Road America 500 race where she finished 2nd. She then participated from 1958 to 1959, still with Bob Staples at the wheel, at various American races under the numbers 77, 7 & 27 without getting on the podium.

It is debatable that it is 550-0059

[Type550]

550-0033 Did not finish!

[Porschinelle]

Another 550 raced also the 1955 Liege Rome Liege

550-033 driven by Edgar Lautenslager/Heinz Fisher


No idea of their result surely Andrew knew

[Porschinelle]

Andrew by the way I am still waiting for your comments on the Le Mans Classic 208 Dutlite MKIII (re above post)

Found these interesting pics related to 550-008 driven by Clause Storez/Alexandre Gacon during the 1955 Liege Rome Liege race

Preparing the car before the start in Liege

Ready to start

Somewhere in the Austrian Alps on their way back to Liege

Safe back (for the drivers not so much for the car) home with a mere 30th overall

[Porschinelle]

this car was built in 1959 by Bob Webb for Bob Stapples starting from what was left of his past 550 A -059
If true, 550-059 no longer exist to day ?or does somebody dare to say he how 550-059 ?

[Porschinelle]

Andrew

Could you tell us what you know about the 1959 Durlite MKIII seen at the recent le Mans Classic

As far as I know this car was byuilot by Bob W

[356]

[Carrera GT]

This replica is aluminium. Although the early protos had pushrods, they had to prove that one of the Wendler built spyders at some point raced with a push rod

[Type550]

This replica is aluminium. Although the early protos had pushrods, they had to prove that one of the Wendler built spyders at some point raced with a push rod

[Carrera GT]

they were able to prove that spyders raced in the 50s with push rod engines

Yes .. true that Replica Spyders use pushrod engines. And yes the very first few original Spyders had pushrod engines prior to the the development of the 547 4 Cam Motor.

There were never any original fiberglass Spyders is my point.

Michael Doyle

[Type550]

they were able to prove that spyders raced in the 50s with push rod engines

[Carrera GT]

The 550A in the display area looks original, but the 550 which raced on the track was a replica from http://502motorworks.com/502-spyder.html which was able to get FAIA acceditation

[Type550]

The 550A in the display area looks original, but the 550 which raced on the track was a replica from http://502motorworks.com/502-spyder.html which was able to get FIA accreditation

[Porschinelle]

The second 550 was a 550 RS with an English registration who was displayed in the exhibitors and sponsors village in a special corner supposed to show to visitors Porsche of different periods
This one did not show on the ytrack but I suppose to be an original

when I say I suppose to be an original it is because on the 5 Porsches displayed by the Le Mans Classic organiser Patrick Peter at least 2 were complete fakes
First a fake 718 RSK

displayed alongside the fake blue abarth we already discuss of it several times


and third a 904 which I don't know if it was a copy o a real one

I really don't understand how a wise guy as Patrik Peter could have been fooled by unscrupulous owners who pretend their cars to be real ones when they are only fakes

[Porschinelle]

To complete my topic in the News from France topic on the 2018 Le Mans Classic there were 2 550 this year

This one I suppose to belong to the Swiss car collector Michel Vogele

who also took part to the race sessions


Andrfew will certainly tell us more about it if he read this