At the peak of fame: Porsche 550A 'Le Mans' Werks Coupe 1956

In the heart of the workshop in Stuttgart, an unyielding mission has flared up - to conquer the prestigious Le Mans race. By 1956, Porsche were no longer limited to winning their classes. A bold decision was made to pit their engineering capabilities against the giants of the racing world, Ferrari and Jaguar.

Porsche's weapons are efficiency and controllability, instead of "wild" power. Le Mans was the stage, and Porsche's strategy was to beat its competitors in the field of engineering, in which the creators brilliantly succeeded.

Although the roof may seem like a minor detail in the world of endurance racing, Porsche's attention to detail was impeccable, so the decision was made to shape the roof in such a way that it directs airflow to the two intakes between the rear fenders.

 The racing world has always served as a laboratory for innovation at Porsche, a place to test their engineering excellence. Driving a 1956 Porsche 550A 'Le Mans' Werks Coupe is like climbing a gate into history.

Get into the details, like the driver's door on the 550A coupe. The frame extending into the roof provided quick access during Le Mans starts, a clever solution that was then reflected in the Ford GT40. Another find was the door handle, a metal ring interlocked with the inside door handle - proof of Porsche's exceptional ability to reduce air resistance while maintaining functionality.

The result was a pinnacle in Porsche racing history. A rave review from Ken Miles in Sports Car Graphic says it all: "The sum of the various modifications resulted in such an improvement in handling that it was almost impossible." 

This innovation was tested at Le Mans, where the 550A-0104 took on Jaguars, Aston Martins and Ferraris in the rain. Among the thirteen cars that finished, Porsche triumphed in its class with a respectable fifth place overall.

It should be noted that she was ahead of the closest competitor in the class, the Maserati 150S, by as much as 37 laps.