A 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder has become the most expensive of its type to ever be sold at public auction as bidding topped £4,500,000 at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival event on 10 September.
“The top lot of the auction is an icon of 1950s sports car design, the gloriously original 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder,” said Bonhams’ James Knight. “The car attracted much attention from bidders, with increments rising by hundreds of thousands until the gavel finally fell to achieve £4,593,000.
His thoughts were echoed by Mark Osbourne: “The car is so original that you could travel back in time 60 years and find it in much the same condition. It’s exactly how a 550 would have looked, smelt and felt when James Dean famously purchased his example – Lil’ Bastard – back in 1955.”
“Chassis number 550 0090 hasn’t been thrashed around, it’s been well looked-after, and even won the FIVA award for originality at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2010 – the perfect Porsche. A real timewarp, and likely the last one left in such excellent, original condition.”
