1956 Porsche 550A/1500 RS Spyder

$726,000 is a lot of money no matter how you slice it, but this car has it all—an important place in Porsche’s history, racing success, good documentation and a professional restoration

by Mark Leonard

The 1956 Porsche 550/1500RS prototype was first introduced at the Paris Salon in October of 1953. Although it was announced that this car would soon be available, it was not until a full year later that the design was actually finalized. Powered by the Type 547 four-cam engine, the cars acquitted themselves well in competition, racing at Le Mans, in the 12 Hours of Rheims and at the Nurburgring, among other venues in 1954. For the 1956 season, the much-improved 550A/1500RS was introduced. Although visually similar, the chassis was completely new, a tube frame structure designed to dramatically reduce the torsional flexibility of the earlier cars. At the same time the rear suspension was completely revamped, although still a swing arm design, the geometry was all new, and an outer CV joint greatly improved the grip of the rear end under cornering. Finally, the twin-cam engines were enhanced with crankshaft-mounted distributors, higher compression, and new...