Porsche 550 RS Spyder Offered in Paris

A 1956 Porsche 550 RS Spyder will take the spotlight at the 2019 RM Sotheby’s Paris auction, scheduled for 6-10 February at Place Vauban in France during Retromobile Week. RM’s sixth annual Paris sale will feature more than 60 collector cars, from pre-war classics to modern hypercars.

The 1956 Porsche 550 RS Spyder offered in Paris is accompanied by extensive documentation from new, including delivery to Ecurie Nationale Belge racing team. The 550 was Porsche’s first dedicated competition car, and chassis 550-0082 benefits from period competition history. First driven by Gilberte Thirion, the car placed 1st in the 1956 Course de Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons hill climb. Thirion was a female Belgian race driver of the 1950s; she competed in the Mille Miglia, the Rallye Monte Carlo, and the Tour de France among other notable races.

The 550 RS Spyder went on to contest the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1957 1000 KM of Nürburgring and 13 additional races, in period. After passing through a small chain of European owners, the car underwent a restoration by Porsche Würzburg in 2000 and is now fitted with a correct type engine and gearbox, clothed in a new Spyder body. Following restoration, the car campaigned the 2001 Mille Miglia and was subject to a complete engine service in 2013. One of 90 examples built, the 550 RS Spyder is estimated to sell for €3,800,000 – €4,300,000 at the 2019 RM Sotheby’s Paris auction.

Oliver Camelin, Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s, said: “It’s an honor to have the chance to offer this iconic Porsche 550 RS Spyder, a car which is a milestone in Porsche history and which to this day remains one of the most coveted road-going racing cars ever made. It was Porsche’s first foray into making a purpose-built racing car and it did so with incredible success, combining simple yet stunning design with uncomplicated mechanicals and lightweight construction. In fact, the template for so many great racing Porsches that have followed in the decades since.”

[Source: RM Sotheby’s]