A historically significant 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder by Wendler is set to cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction next month with an estimated value of $3.25 million to $3.75 million. As the second-to-last of just 90 customer-built 550 Spyders, chassis 550-0089 represents one of the most coveted examples of Porsche’s pioneering competition car.
The 550 Spyder marked Porsche’s first purpose-built race car, combining an ultra-lightweight aluminum body, tubular chassis, torsion-bar suspension, and Ernst Fuhrmann’s groundbreaking four-cam flat-four “Carrera” engine. Its remarkable success in events such as Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Carrera Panamericana established Porsche as a formidable force in international motorsport before the model evolved into the more advanced 550A in 1956.
This particular Spyder was specially commissioned for renowned West Coast Porsche importer and racing team owner John von Neumann, whose Competition Motors outfit fielded legendary drivers including Richie Ginther, Ken Miles, and Phil Hill.
Finished in its original silver paint with distinctive red fender accents, the car features the desirable reinforced high-side chassis, along with factory-style cooling enhancements such as engine-bay scoops, rear-fender louvers, and an enlarged rear grille—details that foreshadowed the later 550A.
Ginther debuted the Spyder at Pomona in 1956 before earning podium finishes at Palm Springs and strong class results during the 1957 season. Later campaigned extensively by Jack West, the Porsche amassed numerous class victories and podium finishes across California race circuits. It also enjoyed notable success with Katherie “Sunnie” Baker, who claimed an SCCA Ladies race victory at Phoenix in 1958.
Over the decades, the Spyder passed through several respected collections before undergoing a meticulous bare-metal restoration for Dutch collector Albert Westerman, preserving its original body panels while returning the car to factory specifications.
Under its current ownership, Porsche specialists Road Scholars further refined the restoration, recreating its 1956 racing rear bodywork and maintaining the car to exceptional mechanical standards. It has since participated reliably in prestigious historic driving events across Europe and North America.
Today, chassis 550-0089 retains its numbers-matching gearbox and is powered by a correctly specified four-cam Carrera engine rebuilt to original standards. Accompanied by FIVA documentation, restoration records, and extensive historical files, this exceptionally rare 550 Spyder is fully eligible for premier events including the Mille Miglia Storica, Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic, and Goodwood Revival, making it one of the most desirable early Porsche competition cars to reach the market in recent years.
