sirtom

A few months ago (late 2011) I saw a 550A at cars & coffee in Atlanta with nice vintage Nurburgring badges on it (black and green, old logo). Has anyone else seen this car? Is it real or a kit? How can I find out more about it. I am a big fan of 57 speedsters but have never been in a 550A.

Turb-OH Brad

Could have been a Beck. They are based out of Villa Rica, GA.

JackW

Its a kit - but a very nicely done kit. The owner spent a lot of time fabricating aluminum panels to trim out the interior. I don't know if its a Beck for sure but it looks like one. Here's a picture of it parked next to Chuck Beck's 904 replica. That's Chuck's Shogun prototype in the background.



There used to be a real 550A in Atlanta - here's Ernie Cabrera in his at an autocross in 1974:

hot nikon

Auto-Xing a 550.


My head just exploded.

JackW

Back in those days it was just another old out of date race car to most folks. There were a few of us who saw it as one of the Holy Grails of Porsche world - but not many. I could have bought it from Ernie in 1978 for $6500.

If it makes you feel any better he usually got Fast Time of the Day in his 550A - unless Duncan Powers was there with his 908 hill climb car.....

Abby Normal

Cool stuff there, Jack. Thank you for sharing!!

Leica356

$6500 was no chump change in 74! I wonder if he was running a 4-cam and of course were is it now!

FC356

I bought a used 68 912 in 1974 for $3600. The owner needed the bucks to go in with his brother to buy a 550 for $7000. It was a very nice example and they used to autocross it as well. They kept it for a while and last I heard had traded it on a new 911 in a dealer's showroom . So where is that million plus 550 now??

JackW

Of course it had a 4-cam - not the original 1500cc but a 1700cc Flat Fan engine that would rev to over 10,000 RPM. It had the "airport" gear set - close ratio so it accelerated very, very quickly . 1050 lbs and over 150 HP will definitely get your attention.

Here are a couple of more shots at a different autocross - Perimeter Mall in North Atlanta ....





Ernie sold the car for $6800 in 1978 to another local Porsche enthusiast who sold it on a couple of years later for around $30,000. The car has been fully restored and Ernie has talked to the current owner a few times.

bullfighter

The car, the hair, the jeans... you can't get jeans like that anymore.

Ghosteh

A deal like that would haunt a guy for the rest of his life!

Steam Driver

When I was in H.S. in Kansas City (Shawnee-Mission North, MIssion, KS '59 - '61) there was Junior (when I was a Senior) who drove a 550A to school! His name was Gary Linsley, if I remember right. Later he traded it for a very nice MGA (weather protection?) and later that went away for a Chrysler 300 of some letter denomination.

Again, the Spyder was just another used car then. It was a light brown with I believe a red stripe down the center and a bunch of plaques from various races down the center of the hood. Neat, noisy car. It would be interesting to know where it may have ended up. 'twas the terror of most of the '57 Chevy's though!

sirtom

Saw it again this morning - the one with #55 in the picture above. It's the best kit I've seen - looks very realistic!

WSH

Ain't that the truth !
I remember growing up in Charlotte NC...there was 904 (!) that sat outside the dealer for YEARS. I would see it with boxes, even spare tires stacked on top of it; nothing worth less than an old race car. Fast forward 35 years = $1M+

Bill

budge96

This past weekend at Volkswagen NA headquarters in Herndon Va the 356
registry and local PCA members had a gathering where turnout was pretty
nice ..sitting amongst the A coupes and C roadsters was a silver blue 550A
with original Four cam motor and big drums sitting there just pretty as can be and people kept walking up to the guy and asking him how long he'd had his kit car!!! HAHA what A holes he kept saying I like fake Rolex Daytonas too!!