Think of 1953 through 1956 automobiles.  Sporty is not a word you would use to describe 99% of them.  This was the time when sports cars began to crawl out of the primordial ooze and began their evolution into real performance machines.  A lot of historians feel that Porsche was already making the perfect sports car way back then.  The 550 Spyder was perhaps the purest performance car ever produced.  Respect for them today drives auction prices into the stratosphere, with one example being sold by Gooding and Company for $3,685,000.  There is an alternative.   Let me introduce you to this Beck recreation of a 550 Porsche Spyder found here on craigslist in Fayetteville, Tennessee.  While the price is a lot lower at $35,000, a number of enthusiasts feel that these cars are better than the originals.  Are they?

Porsche made 90 550 Spyders during their production run.  Drawing from Dr. Porsche’s experience with the Auto Union racecars of the thirties, the 550 was mid-engined, light, low, and all business.  Powered by a four-cam flat-four engine and backed by a four-speed transmission, these race cars could be driven to and from the track as well.  It had just enough added equipment to be called a road car, but their performance on track was dominating.  James Dean bought one for this very reason after shooting the movie Giant.  Dean and his friends were headed to a road race when he was killed in a tragic accident.  His car collided with a Ford sedan driven by a fellow named Donald Turnupseed.  Legend says that he challenged the driver of an early Corvette to a race on this fateful trip.  The Corvette driver wisely declined.

So, with so few of these cars produced, there has always been far more demand than supply.  Even if you could afford one now, your insurance agent would probably need sedatives every time you took to the road.  Luckily for enthusiasts, various companies have produced their own versions of the car.  Whether you call it a replica or a reproduction, these are by necessity different than the VW Beetle based eighties kit cars you saw in the back of magazines in the eighties.  Most respected were the replicas from Beck.  This company made minor improvements were needed in the frame and suspension they provided with their kit, basically making them a continuation of the original in fiberglass.  While kit cars and replicars are mostly looked down on, Beck Spyders have always been respected and are heavily sought after.

The Beck Spyder we see in these pictures was produced in 2003.  It has a 1915 cc flat-four engine, which we surely assume to be a Volkswagen engine, that was custom built and serviced by a Porsche expert in Nashville.  A removable top and side curtains, magnesium wheels, and a like new set of tires are included.  Repainted two years ago, the car is said to drive very well and is ready for the road.  The seller claims that the car is being sold to pair down a large collection.

Two words describe the interior: cramped and spartan.  These are very light cars.  A lot of that lightness is due to their diminutive size and complete lack of creature comforts.  As you can see from the picture above, there is no heater, radio, or even A place to plug in your phone charger.  The seats are very close together, forcing the driver to be very selective about who they invite along for a ride.  The red leather has just the right amount of wear to make the car look both inviting and authentic.

As previously mentioned, there are not many details about the engine in the ad.  Most of these cars used the Volkswagen Type 4 engines used in VW buses and Porsche 914s.  During the eighties, aftermarket speed parts for these engines were readily available.  Enthusiasts coaxed impressive amounts of horsepower from these engines, and you can imagine what a monster a Spyder would be with 200 or more horsepower under the hood.  At least you won’t need spelunking gear to work on this engine.  914 owners dream of having access like this.

A Beck Spyder has always been on my short list of cars to have for pure driving enjoyment.  We hear so much about how great 356s and 911s are to drive.  To me, the rear engine was a compromise that had to be dealt with and not a benefit.  I did own a 914, and it handled better than anything I have driven before or since.  While 914s are fairly light in comparison to most sports cars, they still came with all the parts and pieces that make a car livable.  All that weight adds up.  Porsche’s 550 Spyder was a no compromises sports car.  The Beck version is even better.  Owners can add more horsepower, and the entry price doesn’t equal the cost of your neighborhood.  That’s a pretty good deal in my eyes.

P.S.  If you want to read something creepy about James Dean’s Porsche 550, check out this story from Jalopnik.