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The Porsche 550 was Porsche's first production racing car. The car was completely street legal, so it could be driven to the races and back home. A really special engine was developed for it, engineered by Ernst Fuhrmann. It was a flat DOHC engine, meaning it had 4 overhead camshafts like the Porsche type 360 design for Formula 1. Although with just 4 cylinders, the engine was really complicated and took a lot of time to build. Compared to the "regular" 1500 cc engine in the 356, the Fuhrmann 1500 didn't have anything in common with it. The 4-cam Porsche engine developed twice the power compared to the single-cam unit based on the pre-war Volkswagen design (which was also a Porsche design). In all, 90 Porsche 550 cars were built, including 15 prototypes. The 1956 version of the Porsche 550 was known as the 550A. It had a lighter and more rigid spaceframe chassis, and gave Porsche its first overall win in a major sports car racing event, the 1956 Targa Florio. 40 units were made.
Manufacturer: Porsche AG / Production Years: 1953-1956 / Production: 90 units (550), 40 units (550A) / Assembly: Germany: Stuttgart, Zuffenhausen / Body style: 2-door coupe, 2-door roadster (Spyder) / Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive / Engine: 1.5L (1,498 cc) DOHC Flat four engine / Power output: 110 hp to 135 hp / Transmission: 4-speed and 5-speed manual / Dimensions: Wheelbase: 2,100 mm (82.7 in), Length: 3,700 mm (145.7 in), Width: 1,610 mm (63.4 in), Height: 980 mm (38.6 in), Kerb weight: 550 kg (1,212 lbs)
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