![]() Some are based around a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis and others with more authentic underpinnings opting for a tubular type chassis. There are varying levels of replicas paying homage to the 550 Spyder. McRae’s racing pedigree and background in engineering ensured the sleek design | Read next: Brian Tanti's hand-built Porsche 550 Spyder recreations It is no wonder there has been a number of enterprising individuals willing to invest time and money in creating replicas of the iconic Stuttgart roadster. For example actor Jerry Seinfeld’s 550 sold for an eye-watering US$5.3 million in 2016. The Spyders are rarer than the proverbial hen’s teeth and the genuine articles have fetched millions at auction. Out of the 90, the majority were raced and many did not survive, making them extremely rare and highly desirable to collectors. Only 90 examples of the 550s were ever produced, 43 of those built as non-race "customer cars", including Dean’s. Dean had recently started car racing and was on his way to a California racetrack in his 550 nicknamed ‘Little Bastard’ when he was tragically killed in a collision with another vehicle. It was the 550’s racing prowess that piqued a young James Dean’s interest enough to purchase the new roadster in 1955. The 550 was built as Porsche’s first true race car, winning at the Nurburgring, and taking class honours at Le Mans and Carrera Panamericana, all in its first year of production. The 1500 cc power plant was mid-mounted, delivering fantastic power to weight with handling to match, a marvel of engineering for the time. ![]() With an all-aluminium body and rigid space frame chassis, the 550 weighed in at a minuscule 550kg and was powered by the Ernst Fuhrmann designed type 547 quad-cam power all-alloy, air-cooled boxer engine. Inspired by the 356 minus the roof, the 550 Spyder was a streamlined roadster with more curves than Marilyn Monroe. In 1953 Porsche released the 550 Spyder at the Paris Auto Show. Jurgen Vorsmann came across this McRae Spyder online located in New Zealand and thought he had to have it
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