Spyder 550 550A

[Type550]

It is great to see the evolution of these cars. In the photos you posted, there are no indicator lights, but when Kunstle raced it, he has put on lights from a 550A, not the original 550 lights!

[alan hall]

In Hikoharu Uyesato's letter (May '63) he indicated that he had already shipped the car to Los Angeles and if he didn't sell it he was going to have it repaired and converted to a street car with a pushrod motor. The only other info I have on this car was from 9/78 when I spoke to Les Gunnarson (sp?) in Orange, CA who indicated that the car was restored with a new front body section and was still red. I believe he was trying to sell it at that time.

[Type550]

Here is the ad to sell the car. It is one of those lost cars now - I don not have any photos of it today

[Paolo]

Hi Andrew,
I agree with you. The history of 550A-0145 is very murky. I have a bit to add about its Canadian history. I took these photos of 0145 in the 1971-72 period (located in the Kitchener, Ontario area) when it was owned by a Waterloo University student. It was in poor condition with a pushrod motor. I could have bought it for around $1,500 (Can)! I took 36 photos of the car including a shot of its VIN plate. Peter Ryan did not own or drive this Spyder. It was advertised for sale in the March 1960 issue of Canada Track and Traffic magazine.It remained in Canada until June 1985 when it was sold to California with a bunch of 4-cam parts. The last Canadian owner was believed to be Ed Schermer who owned a workshop in Oakville, Ontario. Gooding had this Spyder going California in 1967 while at that time it was still in Ontario. Not only was 0145 in very poor condition when I saw it in 1971-72 where it presented as a heavily abused, patched-up, stripped of much its originality uncared for old race car, but it clearly needs some diligent research done to clear up a huge blank in its history from 1962 to 1985.
Will attach photo files to my next post.
Paul - MrGTL

[Paolo]

Photos of 550A-0145 from 1971-1972, Kitchener - Ontario - Canada.

[Type550]

Hi Paul,

these photos are amazing and really goes against how 'original' they are trying to promote this car as at auction! Can you remember the name of the student who owned it? Can I ask a big favour for you to email me all the photos you have? The easiest way is to upload them to yousendit.com and then email the link to me at spyder@type550.com

This is the documentation of the car in 1991 - looks a bit cleaner in the photo




thanks Andrew

[356]

Amazing Historical old photos and thank you for sharing them.

I always enjoyed when you and late Steve were in a battle.

+1 JOP

~Vance

[356]

[Type550]

550-03 and 550-04 at the 1953 Carrera Panamericana

[Porschinelle]

Found by looking into my father (died in 2000) papers an interesting French weekly magazine called Inter Auto Sport, dedicated to sport cars dated May 19th 1955
In this magazine a report on the "Grand Prix 24 heures de Paris 1955" raced May 14th/May 15th 1955

[Porschinelle]

On the cover page a photo taken at the start Saturday May 14th 1955 at 4 PM where you may see 3 off 550
The first one race number 38 driven by Auguste Veuillet/Gonzague Olivier won the race
The second one race number 39 with plate number 78 DZ 75 is also a French 550 but did not found the pilots name was DNF
May be Andrew know ?
The white 550 race number 51 driven by Jesper/Annie Bousquet finish 2nd overall

[Porschinelle]

On the top report page inside the magazine 2 photos :
The first one represent the 2 winning 550 crossing the finish line :
Car race number 38 is driven by Gonzague Oliver when Auguste Veuillet may be seen on the left applauding is co pilot
On the second pic Auguste nVeuillet in the middle
Gonzague Olivier on the rigt and Annie Bousquet on the left

The general classification

[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

[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]

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