Dave Bray’s Speedster and Ron Stroud’s Spyder are each replica’s of early model Porsche’s from the mid 1950’s. They have similarities and yet they are quite different. Read on

The 356 and Speedster

The first car to bear the Porsche name was the 356, and the first of these was constructed in 1948. These were hand-built aluminium bodied and limited in number. It wasn’t until 1950 that substantial production commenced on the steel bodied versions. The cars were based on the VW Beetle using a floor plan roughly corresponding to the VW but with box section sills and substantial longitudinal and lateral bulk heads.

To start with a VW engine was used (air cooled horizontally opposed 4 of 1131 cc), although this was modified with alterations to cylinder heads, valves, car shafts, carburettors and so on. The engine capacity was progressively enlarged over the years, up to 1600 cc.

Gearbox, brakes, suspension, steering, and accessories such as headlights were all pure Volkswagen in the early cars, although Porsche progressively developed its own components over time.

The early 356’s were coupes although a cabriolet (convertible) was soon introduced.

However, in 1954 the Speedster was produced primarily in response to the plea of Porsche’s principle importer to the States for a simple, open roadster that would sell for under $3,000. This was a no frills machine with no radio, no heater, only a pretence of 2 back seats and the most primitive of tops. It was as a consequence some 200 lbs lighter and as such a very competitive sports car and particularly popular with amateur racers in California. It came originally with a 1500 cc motor which was increased in size later to 1600 cc.

Spyder-

At about the time of introduction of the Speedster, Porsche was working on its own sports racing car. The 356 coupe was raced very successfully by the company in road races particularly long distance events such as Targa Floria and Mille Miglia and the company was keen to build on this success with a purpose built car. In 1954 it produced the 550, and called it the Spyder. A special motor had been developed, still an air cooled flat four, of 1500 cc, but with twin cam heads, which were operated through a horrendously complex arrangement of gears and shafts. These were eventually developed to produce 135 BHP and were extraordinarily reliable. The car, like the 356, used a variety of Volkswagen, or Volkswagen based components such as steering and suspension and headlights, but differed from the 356 in that the motor was mid-mounted in front rather that behind the rear axle. It also had a ladder frame chassis of large diameter tubes, instead of a steel platform, and carried a rather different body shape, lower, narrower, and stretched more tightly over the wheels. A later version of the Spyder, the 550A employed a more rigid chassis of small tubed space frame, and replaced the swing axle rear suspension with independent suspension.

The 356 Chassis

This car dominated the 1500 cc class for several seasons and even mixed it with the big cars. It could keep up with the D type Jaguar and Aston Marton on winding courses like the Nurburgring and won the Targa Florio outright in 1956 beating Ferrari’s and Maserati’s with more than twice the engine capacity.

Replicas

Well Dave Bray’s and Ron Stroud’s cars are replica’s of the speedster and Spyder respectively, and the kits were both sourced from Graeme McRae. They are similar but quite different as we shall see.

The body of the Dave’s car is fibreglass. It is mounted on a VW Beetle platform chassis which has been shortened by 12 inches and strengthened with steel box rails down each side. The suspension is straight from the beetle. Dave managed to acquire a hotted up VW motor, 1584 cc capacity with competion heads, high lift cam and other goodies. It is fitted with two single throat Dellorto carbs. The car is extraordinarily well finished and true to the original in all the details, including such nice finishing touches as original Porsche road wheels and steering wheel.

Ron’s cars body is also fibreglass. It does not employ a platform chassis, but as per the original has a ladder frame chassis made up of large diameter tubes. According to Graeme McRae he took the opportunity in fabricating the chassis, of increasing the diameter of the tubes, and adding some additional bracing, thus substantially increasing the rigidity.

The 550A Spyder Frame

The motor is mid-mounted, in front of the rear axle. It has a capacity of 1641 cc and has been balanced, but otherwise is essentially standard. It is fitted with two twin throat webber carburettors.

Drive Comparison (Dave Bray)

I have driven the Spyder once and once only, and have been asked for my impressions – inevitably compared to those of the Speedster.

As a design at the racing end of the sports car spectrum, I found it a little awkward to get in and out of the 550 – goodness knows how they used to leap in to ‘em for a Le Mans style start, perhaps I needed time to develop a technique for this.

Once mounted, I found the seating to be both comfortable and snug (most seats are snug on me for some reason), with all controls falling readily to hand with the floor-mounted pedals exactly as I like them. I particularly liked the dash-mounted indicator switch which could be used without removing a hand from the steering wheel – a wheel which is quite a bit smaller than the one which I am used to.

On the road impressions include having more feedback through the wheel than the Speedster has – maybe as a result of having a smaller wheel – and a generally higher noise level. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a criticism as many of us prefer a wee bit of relevant accompaniment to our travelling rather than having a radio – it’s just that the mid-engine layout places the mechanicals a heck of a lot closer to the back of your neck than when the gearbox is between you and the motor.

The linkage between the gearbox and the lever itself must be a lengthy one going all the way to the back of the car and could have been terribly sloppy and vague, had it not been for the very sexy aluminium gate that Ron has installed to positively locate the lever. Very neat the sort of “click-clunk-you-can’t-get-it-wrong” Ferrari-ish sort of thing.

The only negative here was that when in third gear or top gear, I couldn’t find somewhere to park my left leg out of the way of the lever. As Ron doesn’t have that problem, it must be something adrift with my personal design not that of the car!

The use of a shallow wind deflector rather than a screen didn’t produce as much wind buffeting as might have been expected, and I had no trouble keeping a cap on – on the other hand I can understand why Ron prefers to wear a leather helmet and goggles when conditions are a bit unpleasant. It not only makes for increased comfort, but makes him look like a replica of a 1950’s driver and match the car nicely as well.

Overall impressions therefore?

The essential dimensions are much the same between the two ersatz Porsches, as are the torsion bar suspension set-ups, and doubtless we would find similar handling characteristics if pressed sufficiently hard – to the point however that I would expect the mid-engined car to be less-prone to over-steer in the hands of those unwary folk who have been brought up with their engines at the front of their cars.

By comparison with the Speedster it’s a case of the Spyder being ‘the same but different’ – it fits, it feels ‘right’, the family resemblance is unmistakable and its undoubtedly a dammed good replica of an early Porsche 550 Spyder with its mechanical simplicity and genuine period silver finish. Of the two, it somehow feels more ‘businesslike’ as a sports car.

I liked it very much and it represents fun, fun and yet more fun – which is just exactly as it should be.

Would I swap cars? Well no - despite the similarities, I think that I’ve got too soft in my old age for the ‘racer’; in any event with Sandra thinking the 356 is her ‘baby’ I can’t afford to face the costs of the resultant divorce!

Drive Comparison (Ron Stroud)

The build philosophy for the Spyder was to keep close to the original concept of the car. That is a bare-bones sports racer. It therefore has no creature comforts, no carpet, no lining and only a low wind deflector. It is as a consequence noisy and blustery to drive, and one feels very exposed to the elements and effects of passing traffic. The springing is very stiff with added coil-over shocks, so stiff that no anti-roll bars are required. It tends to shake up the bladder so that I can’t drive more than an hour without a pit stop.

Everything is very immediate about the driving. The clutch and throttle is quite abrupt with a noticeable step in power over the 3,000 rpm mark. Steering with the small steering is also abrupt, and the brakes, although not assisted, stop the car quite well, albeit requiring quite a hefty foot. Only the gear change is less than precise with the linkage having to pass around both motor and gear box. The fitting of a gate has improved things. The only way to get in is to step onto the seat (hard wearing vinyl) and slide down into the snug buckets. Driving requires some attention. This is no soft saloon. The light and direct steering makes it very sensitive to vagaries of wind, surface and alignment. It is very well balanced and on the limit it was completely neutral, a slight slip sideways with no tail overtaking the front.

The Speedster although true to its origins of a spartan convertible, is nonetheless very comfortable by comparison with the Spyder. It is much easier to enter in the conventional manner although there is obviously a technique (which I didn’t have) of slipping your knee under than extraordinarily large “period” steering wheel. The car is nicely appointed with carpet and lining and quite obviously from the muted sound of the motor, there is a considerable amount of sound proofing. The motor also about a metre away form your ears compared with being right behind your shoulders as in the Spyder. The controls are also similarly more civilised and with less of the urgency, except for the gear changes. That is beautiful. It does of course link directly back into the gearbox, and exhibits that delightful VW smoothness which is even more enhanced by Dave’s fitting of a gearing up mechanism which reduces the throw between gears to almost nothing. Driving the car, well the drive was just a short run, not pressing things too hard or anything like that. The cockpit is clearly more sheltered with the higher windscreen and neat little side screens. Surprisingly the ride did not feel much less firmer than the Spyder. I expected something softer. I should think that driving on the limit might provide a different experience.

I suspect that Dave’s engine with all its goodies might produce a little more power, or at least produce it more progressively. I didn’t detect the same step at 3,000 revs. With the car being bigger and heavier though I felt that it wasn’t quite so responsive to the throttle, but nevertheless plenty of oomph and a delight to drive.

And my conclusion. For a car to take for a cruise on a lovely sunny day, up the coast or over the Rimutakas to the Wairarapa, the Speedster would be hard to beat. For the masochistic pleasure of being buffeted by wind and noise, and the sheer adrenaline rush of fun, I’ll keep the Spyder.

Little Porsche about to pass the Jag at Nürburgring

Speedster and Spyder