Rometsch Porsche Spyder
The Rometsch Porsche Spyder is based on a Volkswagen frame as well as on technology of the early Porsche 550 Spyder. It was built in early 1954 by Berlin coachbuilder “Karosserie Friedrich Rometsch” for the ‘Renngemeinschaft Berlin-Halensee’ and scheduled for the 1.100 cc sports car class.
The Renngemeinschaft Berlin was a community of private race drivers, who could not finance a race car on their own. Sponsored by Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, a wealthy patron, they participated in racing from 1952 till 1955.
At the beginning of the racing season in 1954 the new Porsche 550 Spyder still was in a stage of development and could not be sold to private drivers like the Renngemeinschaft. But the Renngemeinschaft obtained the permission to build a car using body and mechanical parts from the 550 Spyder.
The flat aluminium pontoon body was designed by Bernhard Cappenberg, also a member of the Renngemeinschaft. Initially the car was powered by a 1.1 Litre Porsche rear engine delivering 69 hp. Top speed was 190 to 200 km/h (118 to 124 mph).
Actually when the car was ready to race, 1100 cc races were held in the Soviet Occupation Zone only. So later the car got the stronger 1500 cc Porsche engine. The Rometsch Porsche Spyder debuted in 1954 at the Leipziger Stadtparkrennen and was driven by Helmut Niedermayr. The Rometsch also participated in races in Rostock, Dresden, at the Halle-Saaleschleife, at the Sachsenring and at the Eifelrennen on the Nürburgring.
At the end of the 1950s the car was converted by the German race driver Harry Merkel into a two-seated street legal roadster. After that the car was buried in oblivion. In 2009 it was found in a depot near Hockenheim. Since then it was restored and is now on display at the Prototype Automuseum in Hamburg.
Rometsch Porsche Spyder
The Rometsch Porsche Spyder is based on a Volkswagen frame as well as on technology of the early Porsche 550 Spyder. It was built in early 1954 by Berlin coachbuilder “Karosserie Friedrich Rometsch” for the ‘Renngemeinschaft Berlin-Halensee’ and scheduled for the 1.100 cc sports car class.
The Renngemeinschaft Berlin was a community of private race drivers, who could not finance a race car on their own. Sponsored by Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, a wealthy patron, they participated in racing from 1952 till 1955.
At the beginning of the racing season in 1954 the new Porsche 550 Spyder still was in a stage of development and could not be sold to private drivers like the Renngemeinschaft. But the Renngemeinschaft obtained the permission to build a car using body and mechanical parts from the 550 Spyder.
The flat aluminium pontoon body was designed by Bernhard Cappenberg, also a member of the Renngemeinschaft. Initially the car was powered by a 1.1 Litre Porsche rear engine delivering 69 hp. Top speed was 190 to 200 km/h (118 to 124 mph).
Actually when the car was ready to race, 1100 cc races were held in the Soviet Occupation Zone only. So later the car got the stronger 1500 cc Porsche engine. The Rometsch Porsche Spyder debuted in 1954 at the Leipziger Stadtparkrennen and was driven by Helmut Niedermayr. The Rometsch also participated in races in Rostock, Dresden, at the Halle-Saaleschleife, at the Sachsenring and at the Eifelrennen on the Nürburgring.
At the end of the 1950s the car was converted by the German race driver Harry Merkel into a two-seated street legal roadster. After that the car was buried in oblivion. In 2009 it was found in a depot near Hockenheim. Since then it was restored and is now on display at the Prototype Automuseum in Hamburg.