The Targa Florio coursed through a Sicilian countryside with a landscape that was medieval in some sports, ancient in others and breathtakingly beautiful throughout. To survive 10 laps of its mountainous and punishing 44.64-mile circuit was an accomplishment. To win the Targa Florio was truly remarkable. This car won the Targa Florio in 1960, and Porsche won seven Targas during that decade. The remaining three were taken by Ferrari. The rivalry was fierce. Because of Ferrari's horsepower advantage, journalists referred to Porsche as 'giant killers.' A second in the Nurburgring 1000 followed this car's Targa win. Despite fellow team cars having a good season as well, Maranello won the war. Totaling up the points at season's end showed a Ferrari-Porsche tie, but the FIA's more-total-victories bonus gave the 1960 Manufacturers Championship to Ferrari for the fifth straight year.
The legendary Targa Florio ran annually through the tortuous Sicilian countryside for nearly seven decades. The island landscape was medieval in some spots, ancient in others, and breathtakingly beautiful throughout. To survive ten laps of the brutally mountainous 44.64-mile circuit was an accomplishment; to win the Targa was a truly remarkable achievement. The car on display won the legendary race in 1960. Indeed, Porsche won seven Targas during that decade against some of the other great names in motor racing, such as Ferrari, Maserati, and Ford.
The Porsche-Ferrari rivalry at that time was fierce, and because of Ferrari's horsepower advantage journalists often referred to the Porsches as 'giant killers.' By 1960, Ferrari's determined efforts had extended the already considerable horsepower gap. Porsche had been expected to reply with a show of brute strength, but didn't as neither the engine nor transmission was significantly changed in the new RS-60. After all, a Testa Rossa had not been able to interrupt the relatively diminutive Porsche RSK's one-two-three finish the year before.
A second in the Nurbugring 1000 followed this car's Targa win. In addition to racing, this car, 718-041, served the factory as a Porsche test bed for various transmissions and later the 2.0-liter Type 587 engine.
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