Porsche Spyders - Stasher.us

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�� $649/set , off-the -shelf, , $775/set , cust custom, exchange . Selected from our manny y pr oducts shown at: www.precisionma ecisionma tters.biz Or call to or rder: der: (415) 252-1428 �� www.Porsche356Registry.org • November / December 2011 19
One of many American racers who had great success in 550s was Jack McAfee, here shown in John Edgar’s 550 at Sebring, 1956. Right: Even if you were not a race car driver, the Spyder was apparently the car to be seen in. The date of this photo of John Edgar’s Spyder is December 28, 1955 and the lady is Janet Lake (aka Janet Mary Lenkey). The occasion was the signing of her movie contract with MGM. Although given minor, unaccredited roles in a half dozen movies, the starlet never made it into big time. Below: The unusual Spyder in the foreground is the Type 645 at Avus in September 1956 shortly before its first and last race. Bottom: Amateur racers who could afford a Spyder ($5800), like actor James Dean (shown here with mechanic Rolf Wutherich just hours before his death) were enthusiastic customers. Some racing Spyders were retired to road duty and a handful were never used in competition at all. It was not unusual to see one on the road in the 1950s and ‘60s. Lee Raskin collection/Oscar for Jimmy, Inc./Seita Ohnishi, © 1987/ Photo by Sanford Roth 20 Volume 35, Number 4 • Porsche 356 Registry Porsche archives (2) frontal area (compared to the 550A). The latter was possible by shrinking the front and rear track by 100mm and 140mm respectively. The fuel tank was placed on the right side of the cockpit as a technique for counterbalancing the weight of the driver. The wheelbase was just 2 meters and a new, unequal-length wishbone suspension was used at the rear. The Type 645 did indeed prove to be faster than the Type 550A but it had significant handling problems. Richard von Frankenberg christened the car with the name “Mickey Maus” because of its skittery behavior. The Grand Prix of Berlin was held at the Avus track on September 16, 1956 and von Frankenberg piloted Mickey Mouse in the race. Running above the line on the steeply banked north curve, the car pulled sharply to the right and flew over the edge in spectacular vertical attitude. Von Frankenberg was flung from the cockpit and landed in Acacia bushes bruised and battered but otherwise unharmed. The car, on the other hand, smashed into the pit area below the curve and erupted into white-hot flames. Little more than a pool of molten, oxidized magnesium remained. Author’s collection Ray van Geisen photo
Page 1 and 2: Untangling the web Then and now. In
Page 3 and 4: Beginning with 550-03 the rear trai
Page 5: Colorful customer Spyders are arran
Page 9 and 10: The standard two-seat version in 19
Page 11 and 12: The W-RS was developed in 1961. It

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