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1960 Porsche 718/RS60 news, pictures, and information | ||
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 |  | Spyder Chassis Num: 718.044 |
 |  |  | Spyder Chassis Num: 718-060 |
| Sold for $3,465,000 at 2012 Gooding & Company. | |||
 |  |  | Spyder Chassis Num: 718-041 |
| | | Spyder Chassis Num: 718-041 |
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.
 | Spyder Chassis Num: 718-061 |
Beginning in the early 1950s, Porsche unleashed a series of four cylinder, four cam sports racing cars that were extremely quick and ruled the small bore International Racing circuit for an entire decade. The car had a powerful engine but the cars true advantages were the use of 'free horsepower' - meaning in its lightweight chassis and running gear comprised of streamlined alloy bodies which offered great braking, fuel efficiency, handling, and acceleration.
The Porsche 550s won their class at Monaco in the early 1950s, along with similar wins at the Mille Miglia, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the Nurburgring 1000. They would repeat these victories in hillclimbs, international road races, and rallies. At the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans, their 550s finished in an astonishing 4th, 5th and 6th.
At the 1956 Targa Florio race, a Porsche driven by Umberto Maglioli earned Porsche their 'Greatest Victory' by coming in first overall. This was done by beating much more powerful vehicles such as the Ferrari Monza and the Maserati 300S.
Another victory was had at the 1959 Targa Florio and at the 1960 Sebring 12 Hour Endurance Race, the Type 718 Porsche RS 60 Factory entry captured the checkered flag.
There were over 100 examples of the 550 Spyder produced beginning in 1954 and it was easily the company's most successful 'customer' sports racing car to date. Modifications were continuously made, resulting in the 550A, 1500RS, RSK, the RS60 and the RS61 Series.
The early Porsche 550s produced 105 bhp while the final evolution of this successful Porsche Sports Racer, the RS61, produced 174 bhp from the 1600cc engine. By this point in history, the car had been subjected to hours of wind tunnel aero studies along with many races and continuous fine-tuning. When the RS61 was introduced, it was a very polished machine. It had a low coefficient of drag and, along with the RS60, was the ultimate development of the four-cylinder boxer Spyder series.
The RS60 and the RS61 (known as the Type 718) were a new marketing concept for the company. For the first time in the company's history, the customers were able to buy and race identical cars to the ones races by the Factory. Similar to the RSK, the Type 718 had a tubular space frame chassis but with an additional four inches in the wheelbase and a wider cockpit. This was done to comply with the new 43-inch minimum imposed by the FIA. The front suspension was similar to the RSK but now incorporated a hydraulic steering damper. The rear suspension, however, was new - now fitted with a double wishbone system with Koni shocks and coil springs.
There was space for an F.I.A. suitcase under the rear deck. Each car had a top, though it was designed to comply with regulations rather than be effective against the elements. Perhaps on of the largest disadvantages to the RS61 was the new curved safety glass windshield which was higher and wider than in the past. This, along with bigger doors, the convertible top, wider cockpit, and several other changes were done to comply with racing regulations. The extra size of the windshield did little to help with its aerodynamics and the engine had to work harder to keep pace with the more powerful competition. The engine, a Type 547/7 1587cc unit had a 9.8:1 compression ratio and was capable of producing 178 bhp.
Even with these new 'Road Car' regulations, the Porsche Spyders continued to perform extremely well in international endurance competition.
There were only 14 examples of the RS 61 models produced.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009
The Porsche 550s won their class at Monaco in the early 1950s, along with similar wins at the Mille Miglia, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the Nurburgring 1000. They would repeat these victories in hillclimbs, international road races, and rallies. At the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans, their 550s finished in an astonishing 4th, 5th and 6th.
At the 1956 Targa Florio race, a Porsche driven by Umberto Maglioli earned Porsche their 'Greatest Victory' by coming in first overall. This was done by beating much more powerful vehicles such as the Ferrari Monza and the Maserati 300S.
Another victory was had at the 1959 Targa Florio and at the 1960 Sebring 12 Hour Endurance Race, the Type 718 Porsche RS 60 Factory entry captured the checkered flag.
There were over 100 examples of the 550 Spyder produced beginning in 1954 and it was easily the company's most successful 'customer' sports racing car to date. Modifications were continuously made, resulting in the 550A, 1500RS, RSK, the RS60 and the RS61 Series.
The early Porsche 550s produced 105 bhp while the final evolution of this successful Porsche Sports Racer, the RS61, produced 174 bhp from the 1600cc engine. By this point in history, the car had been subjected to hours of wind tunnel aero studies along with many races and continuous fine-tuning. When the RS61 was introduced, it was a very polished machine. It had a low coefficient of drag and, along with the RS60, was the ultimate development of the four-cylinder boxer Spyder series.
The RS60 and the RS61 (known as the Type 718) were a new marketing concept for the company. For the first time in the company's history, the customers were able to buy and race identical cars to the ones races by the Factory. Similar to the RSK, the Type 718 had a tubular space frame chassis but with an additional four inches in the wheelbase and a wider cockpit. This was done to comply with the new 43-inch minimum imposed by the FIA. The front suspension was similar to the RSK but now incorporated a hydraulic steering damper. The rear suspension, however, was new - now fitted with a double wishbone system with Koni shocks and coil springs.
There was space for an F.I.A. suitcase under the rear deck. Each car had a top, though it was designed to comply with regulations rather than be effective against the elements. Perhaps on of the largest disadvantages to the RS61 was the new curved safety glass windshield which was higher and wider than in the past. This, along with bigger doors, the convertible top, wider cockpit, and several other changes were done to comply with racing regulations. The extra size of the windshield did little to help with its aerodynamics and the engine had to work harder to keep pace with the more powerful competition. The engine, a Type 547/7 1587cc unit had a 9.8:1 compression ratio and was capable of producing 178 bhp.
Even with these new 'Road Car' regulations, the Porsche Spyders continued to perform extremely well in international endurance competition.
There were only 14 examples of the RS 61 models produced.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009
 |  |  | Spyder Chassis Num: 718 042 |
1959/60 Porsche 718 RS 60 Spyder
Automobile sport was part of the picture for the fledgling Porsche sports car firm from the first. The 356 quickly became popular around the world, in the hands of private drivers wîth sporting ambitions. New racesports cars were developed in Zuffenhausen at the beginning of the fifties: the1.5 liter 550 Spyder proved a shark in the goldfish bowl against larger-displacement competitors in major races. This Spyder used the first engine developed by Porsche for Porsche: the Type 547 wîth 1.5 liter displacement and four, shaft-driven, overhead camshafts.Porsche had made the change from a floor pan to tubular space frame for racesport construction, established the five-speed gearbox, continued to increase performance and fitted larger drum brakes. These improvements, along wîth countless other modifications, kept the Spyder at the head of the ' small sports car class ' (up to 1500 cc) throughout the fifties.
But 1960 brought new regulations for racesports cars, leading to the Spyder RS 60 wîth displacement increased to 1600 cc, larger windshield, a 'functional' top and a regulation trunk in the tail, behind a four-cam engine which now produced 160 HP. This RS 60 brought Porsche its finest results up to that time, particularly in long-distance events. While an overall victory in the 44th Targa Florio in 1960 by Bonnier/Herrmann, wîth a lead of more than 6 minutes over a 3 liter Ferrari, was within the range of previous achievements - sports cars from Zuffenhausen had already captured overall Targa Florio victories in l956 and 1959 - a new Porsche chapter opened wîth the first appearance of the RS 60 at the 12 hours of Sebring in the ÚSA. Olivier Gendebien and Hans Herrmann won outright while Holbert/Scheckter/Fowler drove a second factory RS 60 into second, ahead of Nethercutt/Lovely in a 3 liter Ferrari Dino. Swiss driver Heini Walter, at the wheel of an RS 60, secured Porsche's third and fourth European Hillclimb Championships in 1960 and 1961, following those from 1958 by Count Berghe von Trips and 1959 by Edgar Barth.Source - Porsche
| THE UNDERDOG UPSET CHARLES DRESSING'S RETELLING OF SEBRING'S 1983 RACE | |
 | Americans love underdogs but hate losers. And we really love upsets because they turn reality inside out and generally make the mighty look weak. So when anyone demands a prediction, I try to hide because I always remember some races that didn't quite go the way the experts reckoned: the 1954 Sebring 12 Hours, 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, the start of the 1958 Race of Two Worlds at Monza (not the whole race, but the start sure was a great moment for sports car types). And then … there was the...[Read more...] |
| 1958 German Grand Prix: So Close Never Felt So Good! | |
 | On the 19th of July, at the 11th RAC British Grand Prix, Roy Salvadori would climb to the 3rd step on the podium. It would be the greatest result of his career in Formula One and it would be a most exuberant moment for the man from Dovercourt joining two other Brits on the podium of their home grand prix. However, it would be the race just two weeks later that would provide Salvadori with one of his greatest, and most disappointing, moments in Formula One. Salvadori's World Championship debut...[Read more...] |
| 1961 Targa Florio: Porsche Dominance, Ferrari Victorious | |
 | The first race held on the island of Sicily that included an automobile would take place between the car, a bicycle and a horse. Although the gentleman on the bicycle would drop out rather early due to leg cramps constantly going up and down on the mountainous roads, the battle between the de Dion motor tricycle and the horse would be an intriguing one. In the end, the same principles that played out in that first race would come into play many years later when the island hosted the 1961 Targa F...[Read more...] |
| 1957 Italian Grand Prix: A True Nobleman Stands Amongst Two of F1's Most Noble | |
 | The sea of spectators overwhelming the circuit would be a truly awe-inspiring sight to behold. The vast majority of this horde was there to celebrate the car adorned in red finishing in the top three. The car's driver, a true royal, would stand amongst the crowd as if standing amongst adoring and loving subjects. For the first time in his career, Wolfgang von Trips would be able to count himself amongst the elite of Formula One. Wolfgang von Trips had been born into a noble German family in ...[Read more...] |
| 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix: British All the Way | |
 | After years of frustration, and well past his life-expectancy, Mike Hawthorn would be on the verge of his first World Championship. This was more than likely Hawthorn's last and best hope at a World Championship title. Just one last race, and a fellow Brit, would separate Hawthorn from his World Championship. Emotionally, Hawthorn was done. The last few seasons had seen Hawthorn fail to experience anywhere near the level of success he had even in his rookie year of 1952. In 1952, with an unde...[Read more...] |
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 1960
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| Porsche 356 GS/GT |
| Porsche 356B |
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| Porsche 718/2 |
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