1955 PORSCHE 550 SPYDER BECK RE-CREATION - BEAUTIFUL, TIGHT & VISCERALY FAST

Why replicas?They are all that us lesser mortals have to aspire to now.Of the original 550’s that still exist, one is in Ralph Lauren’s famed collection of classic cars and another belongs to major Porsche fan, Jerry Seinfeld (see a copy of "spyder.com magazine" below).The last known sale of anoriginalwas atthe Goodings auction at Amelia Island in March, 2012 for $3,685,000 – as featured in Keith Martin’s “What’s My Car Worth” on the Velocity channel. I understand the $5,000,000 number has since been exceeded!

Some of the recreations on the roads today have been made to look like James Dean’s “Little Bastard” -as he christened his car. Others even have Japanese engines !!! Mine has stayed faithful to the original Porsche 550 Spyder and if you can findone betterin ANY respect, you should buy it.

The paintwork isimmaculate with no rust (fiber glass) and no stress cracks but it does havesomeminor stone chips (I think there are 4!!) resulting from being driven and not being kept in a 'glass cage'. As you can see from the photos, even the underside is noteworthy.

The speedometer reflects justover 10,000 KILOMETERS (6,250 miles).

The engine is a horizontally-opposed, 4-cylinder of 1,915 ccs, putting out approx. 125 bhp.It’s in excellent condition. It'sfed by 2 twin-choke, down-draught Dellorto carburetors (which the afficianados rate better that either Solex or Weber for their less restricted flow) with chrome air filters, it's fitted with an oil cooler with an electric fan, an oil temperature gauge and drives easily through a trouble-free, 4-speed, manual, synchromesh gearbox.

At 10,000 KILOMETERS (6,250 miles) I figured a special servicing was desirable and I have recent, maintenance bills for just about everything to which one needs to pay attention even having had the carbureters sent out to be rebuilt. In total, I have spent nearly $6,000 since my purchase.

Brakes are theproper mix of discs in the front and drums at the rear.The front tires are recent Michelin XZX 165SR15 Radials while the rears are Michelin XH4 205/70/R15 95S Radials.

With an incredible power-to-weight ratio, both the acceleration and handling are legendary and, with the low height, seating and windshield, the whole experience is “go-kart" or "Formula racecar" like, not to mention the incredible sounds from the 4:2:1 exhaust.

The engine compartment is beautifully detailed with chrome fittings and is exceptionally well maintained and clean.

Paintwork is Porsche Alpine Silver throughout with a black interior.

It has the correct detailing and vintage authenticity.

The period gauges and supplementary oil pressure and temperature gauges are operative.There is a copy Nardi, wood-rimmed steering wheel.All knobs are from billet aluminum.

The wheels are chromed as are the lug nut covers.

There is a center-hood, quick-release, chromed fuel filler.

All the lights and their gaskets are in great condition.

Security and rain protection are provided by a brand new, black canvas, custom-made, tonneau cover.

Crow, vintage and little used,racing seatbelts are fitted -five-point to the driver’s side and lap to the passenger’s.

Under the hood there is an un-used EMPI tool kitand jack, etc., and a tire inflator kit (a more'modern', lightweight, Porsche touch).

There are twin, leather safety straps to the rear, clam shell.

Traditional rear view is complemented by a matching-color, vintage, Spyder Mach 1 fender mirror, just as the original cars.

IF YOU WILL BE IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND YOU'D LIKE TO SEEMY CAR "UP-FRONT AND PERSONAL" PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL FOR AN APPOINTMENT. IF YOU'D LIKE MORE DETAILS OR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, PLEASE ALSO CONTACT ME.

Perthe photo, the car has been registered in California and I have clear, Florida title in my personal name.Buyer will be responsible for knowing title, etc., regulations for his/her own State. If required, I can assist with arranging transportation to you at your cost.

If you have any questions or want more of my many photos, please do not hesitate to contact me either by phone at (954) 463-5300 or via email at ian@thegailgroup.com.

I have done my best to describe and photograph my car fully and honestly. However, I strongly suggest that either a prospectivepurchaser orher/his agentcomes to inspect my car prior to purchase - by appointment only please.

The purchaser is buyingthe carentirelysubsequent tohis own or his agent's personal examination, inspection and opinion or a decision to forego such. Deciding not to inspect or have the car inspectedis the purchaser's decision and is at purchaser's sole risk. No statements or such that mayoccur in this or any other material shall create a representation or warranty. Typical ofclassic cars;the sale will be on the basis of "AS IS"and "WHERE IS" with no warranties or guarantees of whatsoever nature being given or implied and under the strict and sole terms of a written,mutually agreed and signedSale and Purchase Agreement andBill of Sale.

TO BE A TRULY INTERESTED 550 SPYDER FAN, YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT spyder@type550.comSEE BELOW, WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO TYPE 550..

THE FOLLOWING IS THE LATEST SALE OF AN ORIGINAL 550 SPYDER, WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TOGOODING &CO

1955 Porsche 550 Spyder from the Jerry Seinfeld Collection:-

Coachwork by Wendler

SOLD FOR $5,335,000 at Goodings, Amelia Island Auction, March 12/13

Chassis: 550-0060

Engine: 90063

• An Exceptionally Original, Unrestored 550 Spyder
  Just Three Owners over the Past Five Decades
  As-Delivered Color Scheme; Beautifully Preserved Upholstery
  Matching-Numbers Example with Just 10,500 Miles from New
  A True Connoisseur’s Porsche

  1,498 CC DOHC Type 547 Flat 4-Cylinder Engine
  Twin Solex 40 PJJ-4 Carburetors
  110 BHP at 6,200 RPM
  4-Speed Manual Transaxle
  4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
  Fully Independent Torsion Bar Suspension with Trailing Arms and Shock Absorbers

  ©2016 by Gooding & Company Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution strictly prohibited.

  PROVENANCE
  Lou Hilton, Greenville, Maine (acquired circa 1963)
  Joel Horvitz, Georgetown, Massachusetts (acquired from the above in 1998)
  Jerry Seinfeld (acquired from the estate of the above in 2007)

  LITERATURE
  Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car, February 2007, cover feature Giant Killer
  Rolf Sprenger and Steve Heinrichs, Porsche Carrera, pp. 353, 814

  EXHIBITED
  PCA Porsche Parade, Portland, Maine, 1986
  PCA Porsche Parade, Boston, Massachusetts, 1991
  356 Registry East Coast Holiday, Charleston, South Carolina, 2002
  Porsche Exhibition Hall, Los Angeles Auto Show, 2009

  THIS CAR
  “You can’t drive a sonnet by Shakespeare or a symphony by Beethoven. But this would be the automotive equivalent.”
  – Jerry Seinfeld

  Anyone with even a passing interest in collector cars would agree that there is something special about the Porsche 550 Spyder. Beyond the typical qualities that make 550 Spyders so desirable – the period in which they were built, the mystique of their competition heritage, their precision engineered four-cam air-cooled engines – these Porsches have developed a revered reputation for their exquisite beauty, brilliant performance, and all-around versatility.

  Though built in limited numbers and equipped with relatively small 1.5-liter engines, 550 Spyders are among the most mythical Porsches of all time. The mere mention of the model brings to mind victories at important road races and the legends who drove them, such as Hans Herrmann and James Dean. Even today, the 550 Spyder shows its lasting influence in the character and design of Porsche’s latest sports and racing cars. Given their enormous success in motorsport, very few 550 Spyders have survived the past 60 years unscathed. The example presented here, however, 550-0060, is surely among the finest and most original examples of Porsche’s first purpose-built sports racing model.

  As confirmed by a copy of the factory build record, 550-0060 was constructed during summer 1955, returning to Werk I from Karrosserie Wendler that July, its aluminum body painted blue with white tail stripes and cockpit trimmed in beige vinyl. Originally equipped with a type 547 four-cam engine, numbered 90063, and four-speed transaxle, numbered 10051, the 550 Spyder was completed in August 1955 and test-driven by Herr Mimler before being prepared for delivery to the US.

  While little is known about the Spyder’s first few years, in the early 1960s a young car enthusiast named Lou Hilton discovered the blue Porsche on a used-car lot in Worcester, Massachusetts, and added it to his growing stable.

  Hilton, who lived in Greenville, Maine, had inherited a fortune from his grandfather, Louis Oakes, brother of Sir Harry Oakes, who discovered the second-largest gold vein in the world in Ontario, Canada. A family of ample means and good taste, the Hiltons owned the New Mt. Kineo House, a grand hotel built in 1884, restored the historic steamship Katahdin, and donated the land for the Moosehead Maritime Museum. In addition to cultivating his own philanthropic efforts, Lou Hilton developed a passion and discerning eye for fine machinery. He piloted his own planes and assembled a small collection of high-quality automobiles that included a Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio, BMW 507, and Mercedes- Benz 300 SL Gullwing, among others. The 550 Spyder, however, which he repainted once in its original blue during the late 1960s or early 1970s, was the true masterpiece in his collection.

  Joel Horvitz of Massachusetts, a longtime collector and founding member of the 356 Registry, was among the many Porsche enthusiasts who admired and longed to own Mr. Hilton’s 550 Spyder. In 1998, after actively pursuing the car for many years, Joel Horvitz managed to convince Lou Hilton to sell him his prized Spyder.

  In an article published in Hemmings Sports & Exotic magazine, Joel’s son Brian describes his father’s love for 550-0060 and his particular appreciation for the car’s authentic character.

  “Since he bought his first 356 in the early ’70s, my father had a number of very special cars; however, none represented his passion for collecting as completely as his Spyder,” Brian Horvitz said. “He had been after this very car since 1981, and realized his dreams in 1998. He knew that he wanted a Spyder, but I tend to think that no other Spyder would have done. This is not a pristine concours vehicle – the paint is cracked, the upholstery isn’t perfect. What it has is that palpable feeling of history. You stand next to it and you imagine yourself at the factory in 1955 watching the car being assembled.”

  The article, written by David LaChance and titled Giant Killer, goes on to describe 550-0060 in detail and gives a wonderful first-hand account of what it’s like to drive an original 550 Spyder:

  “Getting aboard calls to mind climbing into an aluminum rowboat – it’s a little awkward, and in the case of the Porsche, you’re worried about bending the aluminum body panels as you look for handholds. Once in, it’s a snug fit, though not claustrophobic. The engine comes to life immediately with a press of the starter button, and with the exhaust booming and all those spiral bevel gears singing away somewhere just behind my right hip, we set off down an empty two-lane highway not far from New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee,” LaChance wrote.

  “Acceleration is spirited below 4,000 rpm, but above that magic number, the engine just comes to life, providing a relentless urge to go faster. Forget about looking at the speedometer – all I a can do is steal a glance at the tachometer as I peer out over the little Plexiglas windscreen… It’s a fantastic drive, even at well under the car’s capabilities. Just to be in the presence of a 550 Spyder is to bear witness to the birth of one of the most successful factory racing efforts ever. If only for that, this is a car without equal.”

  In January 2007, Jerry Seinfeld, assisted by Alex Finigan of Paul Russell and Company, acquired the 550 Spyder from Mr. Horvitz’s estate. Mr. Finigan, who has known and helped maintain 550-0060 since the mid-1970s, is among the car’s many admirers and, in a recent conversation, described it as “a fantastic, fantastic car – I can’t say enough about it.”

  When the car arrived in Mr. Seinfeld’s collection, it had covered just 9,896 miles from new. Over the past nine years it has accrued less than 500 additional miles and benefited from attentive care and maintenance in the hands of two respected Porsche specialists – Joe Cavaglieri and Adrian Gang. During its time in the Seinfeld Collection, the Spyder has been exhibited on rare occasions. In 2009, it was featured in the Porsche Exhibition Hall at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and in 2012 it was loaned to Porsche for a special display in Pebble Beach during the Concours weekend.

  Today, the car remains in exceptionally original condition, wearing its decades-old blue paint and retaining its wonderful, well-preserved upholstery – a special ribbed vinyl material with a patina and character that would be impossible to duplicate. The elemental cockpit features the correct banjo steering wheel and three large VDO gauges, with their elegant and distinctive green typeface. Under the front compartment one finds the patinated aluminum fuel tank, with original felt under the securing straps and a VDO sending unit dated February 1955. In the engine bay, the matching-numbers engine and transaxle are present, as is the original chassis number stamping and rarely seen Karosserie Wendler Reutlingen body tag. In each and every area of the Spyder magnificent details abound, from the proper horsehair weather stripping to the cracked white paint of the tail stripes.

  As a definitive and authentic example of the legendary 550 Spyder, 550-0060 ranks among the most desirable sports cars ever built. Finished in its elegant factory-delivered color scheme and presented in remarkably original order, it is all the more enticing. Consider then that it has covered less than 10,500 miles since 1955 and you have an exceptionally rare and desirable sports racing Porsche.

  Beyond its outstanding condition, its remarkable history and provenance are second to none. Over the past 50 years, this 550 Spyder has benefited from the responsible stewardship of just three passionate owners and its appealing presentation reflects the care and attention it has continued to receive.

  A 550 Spyder, with only the right kind of stories, is hard to come by. Very few examples possess the outstanding qualities of this car, which has been an object of desire since Lou Hilton discovered it on a used-car lot in the early 1960s. For the true collector – one who has a deep appreciation for extraordinary automobiles and the fascinating lives they have led – 550-0060 is a unique prize.