Gold for the Price of Silver: 1:18 Porsche 550A Spyder by Tecnomodel

I’ve been a Porsche enthusiast for as long as I’ve had an interest in cars.

While most fans of the German marque lean toward their modern creations — i.e. the 911 Turbo or 718 GT4 RS — I’ve found myself more and more partisan towards their air-cooled classics. They’re raw, loud, and some of the best looking cars on the planet. Narrowing it down further, Porsche’s race cars of yesteryear are the cream of my crop. You know the ones: the 911R, 804 F1, and most importantly, the 550 Spyder.

Why the 550? Good question.

For starters, the 550 Spyder was Porsche’s flagship model in the 1950s, and a proper successor to the beloved 356. The 550, among being (arguably) Porsche’s greatest looking car of all time, had a rich racing history where it won Le Mans, Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana and more. If you need more reasoning, the 550 has a reputation of being tremendously enjoyable to drive.

My love for the car fueled a search for a high quality 1:18 Porsche 550 Spyder — a process that was surprisingly quick and painless. There are only four manufacturers who make a 1:18 version of the 550: Maisto, Schuco, Tecnomodel, and Amalgam. Given that Maisto’s rendition is $20, and Amalgam’s is $800, I eliminated both as too low end and simply unaffordable. Schuco would be a consideration as their models look fantastic, but this brand has so little presence with American vendors that finding one is a large challenge. That leaves Tecnomodel as the most viable option. A 50% sale which reduced the price from $280 to $150 courtesy of German retailer Selection RS made the choice even more obvious.

Whether or not this Tecnomodel 550 Spyder is a smart financial decision and a high quality reviewable model is another question!

First impressions

I’m no stranger to Tecnomodel.

My last review experience with them surrounded a Porsche 936 and it was undoubtedly a good one. The 550 Spyder had no issue matching it and right out of the notably-well-designed box I was impressed. The 550 arrived atop a magnificent, polyester-covered baseplate similar to those found on all Tecnomodel Mythos models. A plaque on the baseplate identified the make and model of this 550. Another small plaque on the back of the base read “Limited Edition 70 of 90.”

The baseplate highlights just how beautiful this model is. Tecnomodel always does the paint justice, but it’s especially pristine with this 550 Spyder. There is absolutely zero orange peel, a feat even the likes of Almost Real or AUTOart Signature don’t achieve. The minimal, almost non-existent plastic and spot-on proportions compliment the beauty of the 550. What sets this 550 Spyder (and Tecnomodel as a whole) apart from the competition is the quality of perforation. Almost every vent is perforated with holes so small that it almost seems impossible. But wait, there’s more…

Exterior Styling

Tecnomodel has proved to be spectacular with exterior recreations. After some compare-and-contrasting of this model and photos of its real life counterpart, I’ve found close to no details to be missing:

Fog lights? Check. Headlight texturing? Check. No camber? Check. Real rubber tires with accurate tread patterns? Check. Tecnomodel has it all. Undeniably my favorite part of this model is the iconic choice of wheels. 550 Spyders built from 1956-1958 (this being from 1957) came with 15-inch steel/alloy wheels. Yes, you read that right, a multi-million dollar Porsche rides on steelies!

One of the reasons this 550 has such a gorgeous side profile is because Tecnomodel made the door shut lines clear with plenty of indentation. The same is true for the engine cover in the rear; poor shut lines in a resin model is one of my pet peeves, so I’m glad Tecnomodel paid attention to them.

The rear holds up just as well as the rest of this model. The rear grille, which appears to be photo-etched, is highly realistic and stays true to the original. The same can be said for the stunning gold Porsche script. Just like the front fog lights, the taillights are perfectly applied to the bumper, and are some of the most realistic I’ve come across.

Inside the cabin

Tecnomodel’s 550 Spyder interior is among the best I’ve ever seen. It is very bare, like that of its full size counterpart, and Tecnomodel nails the minimalist look. The seats are textured, unlike stiff plastic found in most other models at this price point, and the interior framework is on point. The steering wheel is painted exceedingly well, it isn’t loose or hanging downwards, nor is it loose like I’ve found on AUTOart or Minichamps models.

Smaller details like the interior door handles or gear shifter are a mirror image of the full size 550 Spyder. The mounting for the shifter is molded nearly perfectly but it did arrive with some minor scuffs. The gauges are of similar quality — very good, but not the best I’ve seen. The numbers are difficult to make out and come close to blending together. That aside, the overall quality is top notch.

Devil’s in the details

I love the model, but there are a few small things Tecnomodel could improve upon to make this 550 Spyder perfect.

Front grille: Perforation is something every $200+ model should have for every vent. This Porsche 550, which retails at $280, doesn’t have any form of perforation for its low-mounted grille. Not even inexpensive, plastic-molded, “simulated” perforation. Rather, the grille is a single mold in the body, painted black.

Hood straps: Leather hood straps might be a bit of a reach, but they’d suit this model better than the stickers used. Yes, stickers for straps. If that doesn’t scream “cheap” then I don’t know what does and I found that surprising given the overall quality of the model.

Gas cap: The Porsche 550 has a front-mounted gas tank to even out the weight from its rear mounted engine. The gas cap, naturally, is front mounted too but unfortunately protrudes from the bodywork. The cap should be even and almost flush with the body, but on this model it is tilting to the left and is, by no means, even with the body.

In the big picture

Tecnomodel’s Porsche 550 Spyder is a bit of a mixed bag overall and my recommendation really comes down to the price point it can be acquired for. On one hand, Tecnomodel nails key aspects of this model, like the paint, proportions, nearly all of the interior, and wheels. On the other hand, finer details like the hood straps, interior gauges, and a few of the vents look uninspiring relatively speaking. Because of these “uneven” details, I find it very hard to justify its $280 retail price.

As a display model, the 550 suits all of my needs and fits in with my Porsche-dominant collection. For the purist-type collector that needs everything to be perfect, however, it doesn’t meet the bar set by similarly-priced CMC or Almost Real models.

If Amalgam’s $800 550 offering is out of the question for you, and if you can find Tecnomodel’s counterpart for less than $200, it’s a win for your collection. It’s a top-tier addition for $150 but a shaky choice for $280.