550 Spyder

Ernst Fuhrmann designed the Type 547 four-cam engine specifically for the 550. Despite displacing just 1.5 liters, the air-cooled flat-four produced 110 hp through four overhead camshafts driven by a complex shaft-and-bevel-gear system. The engine was a jewel of engineering that revved to 7,800 rpm.

The tubular space frame chassis weighed just 550 kg with the aluminum body. This gave the 550 a power-to-weight ratio that embarrassed Ferraris and Maseratis with three times the displacement.

At the 1954 Carrera Panamericana, Hans Herrmann finished third overall in a 550, beating every car except two larger Ferrari prototypes. The result inspired Porsche to name their high-performance road cars 'Carrera.'

James Dean purchased a new 550 Spyder in September 1955, naming it 'Little Bastard.' On September 30, while driving to a race at Salinas, he was killed in a collision at an intersection near Cholame. He was 24 years old.

90 550 Spyders were built. Today they command $4 million to $6 million at auction. The car's legacy is inseparable from Dean's death, which gave it a cultural weight that transcends motorsport.