1955 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica

Owner: Gavin Blok

Car: 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica (KCC Kit, built by ReplicarsSA, 2009)

Bought in: February 2022

Mileage: approx 1 400 km (at purchase; significantly more since)

Current value: Untested locally, sales in the US upwards of $50 000

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Why I bought this car: There are impulse buys, and then there is finding a silver ghost on Facebook Marketplace and knowing — with absolute certainty — that your life is about to change.

When I spotted this 550 Spyder replica listed in early 2022, there were very few of these cars on South African roads. The asking price on Marketplace seemed almost too good to be true. The car had a no accident history, up-to-date paperwork, and a body that looked the part. I told myself it was a bargain. I was right about the car. I was completely wrong about what ‘finished’ would eventually mean.

The Porsche Type 550 is one of motorsport’s most iconic machines — a featherweight, mid-engined two-seater that punched so far above its class at Le Mans in 1955 that Enzo Ferrari reportedly called it “that little killer.” Owning even a faithful tribute to that legend felt like holding a piece of automotive history. Once the key was in my hand, the rabbit hole opened up — and I jumped in headfirst.

This tribute is built on a reconstructed tubular steel chassis, wearing an ISO fibreglass composite body that faithfully recreates the original aluminium clamshell shape. At just 580 kg, it is ferociously light by modern standards.

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Common issues with this model: Replica builds of this era were assembled with enthusiasm rather than factory precision — which means early examples have quirks.

Suspension geometry can be inconsistent; the rear suspension collapse I experienced is a known risk on early kit builds
Fuel system routing on these kits is rarely optimal from the factory — rerouting is almost always necessary
Dashboard and cockpit authenticity requires significant aftermarket investment if accuracy matters to you
Transmission ratios on stock VW Type 1 gearboxes are not ideal for road use; rebuilding with modified ratios is highly recommended
Body fit and finish on fibreglass kits benefits from ongoing attention; the patina on mine, however, I have chosen to embrace — it adds rather than detracts

Major repairs/revisions/updates: I don’t do things by halves. From the moment I drove the car home, I began noticing every detail that didn’t match the original 550s I had studied. So I did what any reasonable person would do — I booked a flight to Stuttgart and spent time at the Porsche Museum examining real 550 Spyders up close. That trip changed everything

What followed was effectively a ground-up rebuild. Over 500 hours of personal labour and more spend than budgeted for in modifications later, here is a snapshot of what has been done:

Complete brake system overhaul: new hubs, calipers, master cylinder, 356 rims and tyres
New front axles, king and link pins, bearings and front shocks
Aluminium fuel tank repositioned with filler cap rewelded at the correct angle; new fuel gauge and rerouted fuel line
Dashboard completely remodeled to authentic specification — gauges imported from Becks in the USA, fittings from Fibersteel, with correct switches and indicator stalk
Rebuilt pedal set, steering column modifications, new horn
Correct cockpit fittings: grab handle, strap eyelets, seat rails
Shifter rebuilt; handbrake imported as an exact replica and repositioned to the correct location beside the shifter
Seatbelts refitted correctly
Leather bonnet and clamshell straps fitted
Le Mans–style racing fairing behind the driver’s seat
Single period-correct rearview mirror on driver’s side
Royal blue Le Mans tail spears painted with hand-applied gold pinstriping
White roundel decals on bonnet and clamshell
Transmission fully rebuilt with longer 4th gear, sportier super-diff and new side shafts
Carburettors reconditioned
Rear suspension rebuilt with new upper and lower shock mountings and adjustable coilovers after a suspension collapse

The interior features bucket seats trimmed in aged red leather, a correct ivory banjo steering wheel with genuine Porsche horn button, and VDO gauges with hammer-metal finish backing plates.

The best thing about this car: The reaction it gets everywhere it goes. This car stops traffic — literally. Strangers wave, pedestrians photograph it, Porsche owners at Cars & Coffee lose their minds. It generates a warmth and joy in people that no modern car can replicate. Driving it is not transport. It is an event.

The worst thing about this car: The worst thing? There is no finish line. Every task completed reveals three more. I have spent more than 500 hours and way more than budgeted for on a car I bought for a bargain — and I am not done yet. The rabbit hole is deep, and I suspect it has no bottom.

1955 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica Tech Spec

Engine: Air-cooled Type 4, four-cylinder boxer, 1 970 cm³, fed by twin double down-draft carburettors — mid-mounted, just as Ferdinand Piëch intended
Transmission: VW Type 1, four-speed fully synchronised, with a rebuilt unit featuring a longer 4th gear ratio for relaxed highway cruising and a sportier super-diff.

Suspension (front): Independent, parallel-guided, torsion bars with telescoping hydraulic dampers.

Suspension (rear): Oscillating axle with modified super-diff differential and upgraded adjustable coilovers (fitted after a rear suspension collapse).

Brakes: Full hydraulic to all four wheels, converted to 5-lug disc brakes all around, mounted on 15-inch wide 5-bolt Porsche 356-style wheels.

Power/Torque/Performance: True to the period-correct spirit, exact figures are part of the charm rather than the point — but with just 580 kg to motivate, even modest outputs feel electrifying.