In the early 1990s I was responsible for the restoration of the only 550 Spyder (Chassis # 0056) to ever come to Australia as a new car in the mid 1950’s. The restoration of #0056 gave me an appreciation of the car and, at the same time, valuable knowledge of every aspect of the construction methodology.
With the help of my colleagues in California, Joe Cavaglieri and Greg Bates, I’ve been able to take advantage of modern scanning technology to acquire math data of the cars three-dimensional exterior surface. This aids in the fabrication of my project 550 Spyder primary structure and exterior skin.
To create the exterior buck needed to form the skin accurately, Mr Mark O’Brien -clay modeller, Pattern Maker, has been engaged to read the 550 Spyder drawings. He then builds the wooden structurer, as an accurate point of reference (panel forming buck) for shaping the skin.
Mark is a craftsman of world class standing, having worked all over the world as a clay modeller, with extensive experience in Germany. Among his many other projects, Mark was initiated to head up the interior design of the Bugatti Veyron while working for Martin Vulcas.
What you will see on the BTW website is the development, from concept to completion, of the complete exterior and interior primary structure. The skills you will witness pre-date the motor car and the methodology of construction will be faithful to the way the Wendler bodied 550- 1500 RS Spyders were made.
You can view photos of the restoration here