Perhaps the most famous Porsche 550 was James Dean's "Little Bastard", numbered 130 (VIN 550-0055). | Of the 90 examples, 43 were built as non-race, customer cars.
The first 550 had a fully synchronized 4-speed gearbox. Starting in 1956, a five-speed gearbox was used. The Porsche team raced the 550 with outstanding success. The car was known as the 'Giant Killer' for a reason. It took down the greats like Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. |
The 550 is among the most frequently reproduced classic automobiles. |