1960 Porsche 718/RS60 Spyder

For the 1960 season, the FIA changed the regulations to try and bring sports-racing cars closer to normal road cars. They did so by modifying the rules for Appendix C (sports cars) to be more like Appendix J (GT cars). This required Porsche to modify the previously successful 718 (RSK) competition cars with a wider cockpit, wider and taller windshield, bigger doors and room allocated for the 'FIA' suitcase. The new 718 competition car was called the RS60.

This Porsche RS60 is chassis number 718 042 and is one of four factory works cars. The works featured include split front torsion bars, fuse panel on the dash, inside windshield wiper, apex driving lights and accessory door tank. Porsche's first over-all victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1961 European Hill Climb Championship was with this car. It was driven by Jo Bonnier and Hans Herrmann who won by a formidable 9 lap margin at Sebring over the second-place 'sister car.'

The RS60-61 series cars were the final model in the Spyder series and became known as 'Giant Killers' of the era for their high placings against the larger displacement Italian Ferraris and Maseratis of the same period. This car was also a class winner and fifth overall at the 1960 Targa Florio FIA race, maintaining the continuing reliability and durability of the Spyder era cars.

This was Porsche's first overall winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring driven by Olivier Gendebien and Porsche factory driver Hans Herrmann. Playing the role of 'giant killer' and 'underdog' to the hilt, the 1.6-liter flat-four '042' moved into the top five during the fourth hour against the much larger and more powerful competition. It took the lead during the eighth hour spearheading a one-two Porsche RS60 overall sweep to claim Porsche's first win in the World Championship Florida 12 Hour enduro. The Sebring winner then logged victory in the 1961 European Hillclimb Championship ultimately scoring 15 overall and 17 class victories in its long career making it the most successful RS60 of all time.