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The Porsche 550 Spyder was an automobile produced by Porsche in the 1950s. It was the first Porsche designed for auto racing. It was built on a ladder type frame (unlike the latter 550A which had a space frame) and was a mid-engined car with its gearbox located behind the engine. It is also known as the car James Dean drove when he had his fatal crash ("Little Bastard").
The Spyder was unveiled in 1953 at the Paris Motor Show. A lightweight sports car weighing in at 550 kg, it was very successful in motor racing that year, winning its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first two Spyders were powered by a pushrod engine, which was basically a hopped-up Volkswagen engine. A new engine designed by Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann added considerably to the car's power (110 bhp). This new engine, known as the Type 547, was unique in its design as it had 4 cam shafts that were all driven by the crankshaft. Later on, this 4-cam engine would also power the Porsche 356 model, known as the 356 Carrera.
In all, about 90 550 Spyders were built between 1953 and 1956. In 1956 Porsche upgraded the 550, this new car was known as the 550A. The 550A had various improvements: It sported a spaceframe chassis, the latest version of the Fuhrmann 4-cam engine and fully independent rear suspension (as opposed to the swing-axle inherited from the 356 model). The 550A also had a 5-speed gearbox.
The car is now very rare, but replicas are being made; namely those by Chuck Beck Motorsports, Thunder Ranch, and Vintage Spyders. These replicas are true to the original and have performance that often equals or exceeds the original Porsche machines.
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