From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Porsche 550 Spyder was an automobile produced by Porsche in the 1950s. It is also known as the car James Dean drove when he had his fatal crash.
The Spyder was unvieled 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. In 1958, a new engine designed by Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann added considerably to the car's power (110 bhp).
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.
