1961 Porsche RS 61 Sports Racing Spyder

By the mid-1950s, Porsche began punching above its weight class with its model 550. However, the company would up the ante even further when the Stuttgart company followed the successful 550 just a couple of years later with the 718.

The new 718 would be immediately successful finishing first in its class at Le Mans in 1958. What would be more remarkable about the performance would be the fact the car finished the 24 hour race 3rd overall.

One year later, a 718, driven by Edgar Barth and Wolfgang Seidel would take on the challenging Targa Florio and would end up coming out the other end as overall victors. Though not fitting in the larger classes, the car certainly didn't fit in the one it had been designed for either.

As a result of the many victories, especially against cars in the upper classes, Porsche's international reputation would grow rapidly. Everyone wanted an example of the 'giant killer'. Suddenly, Porsches started to make appearances everywhere. Because of the success on the track, the car would attract the attention of Hollywood actors and gentleman racers the world over.

Porsche's main trick for success would be the development of lightweight chassis and highly-streamlined bodies to overcome the need to rely upon bigger, more complicated and highly-tuned engines. Such engines were thoroughbreds. They offered great power and performance but they were also highly-strung and prone to reliability issues. Porsche's approach would be in the other direction.

By designing a lightweight chassis and powertrain, Porsche could rely upon a proven, smaller powerplant. It would not have the power and performance as the bigger cars, but it wouldn't be as complicated and prone to failure as the others. Porsche would rely upon the advances with aerodynamic design and lightweight construction to make up the difference. The result would be dramatic as Porsche would practically dominate its class for the better part of a decade and would often supplant those belonging to the higher classes.

The RS60 and RS61 would develop from the RSK. New regulations would mandate changes in design. An enlarged windscreen and a larger interior would force Porsche to come up with a new model. However, the RSK had been successful, and therefore, didn't deserve to be just cast aside.

The Spyder version of the 550 would be widely popular, as would the Spyder version of the RSK. This popular style would remain with the new RS60/61 but the interior would be enlarged to the mandatory 43 inch minimum. The full-size windscreen affected the aerodynamics of the car. However, Porsche would help to overcome this and other issues by making a wheelbase enlarged by about 4 inches. The lengthening of the wheelbase enabled the car to be lowered slightly, flat elongated coupe.

Engine size would be enlarged, but only slightly. Instead of the 1.5-liter engine that powered the initial Spyder design, a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder Boxer engine developing 160 bhp engine would be used. This would be increased through the use of dual Weber carburetors. Power then would increase to nearly 180bhp. When combined with four-wheel independent suspension and front and rear disc brakes, the RS60/61 versions of the 718 would become potent challengers at any kind of race track.

The more attractive feature of the RS60 and RS61 would be the fact that Porsche would make examples of the car available for purchase by privateer racers. Having the very same car, with all of the details, the factory team had suddenly the privateer would be transformed from tail-end runner to race favorite.

Put very simply, the car worked. Therefore, Porsche would continue production of the 718 RS into 1961 and would call it the 718 RS61. One of those that would come to enjoy the fact Porsche made the same car and performance available to the privateer as that which the factory team enjoyed would be Bob Donner.

This Donner preferred to travel amongst much faster company and would be one of the best-known privateers in the United States. Bob Donner knew Porsche quite well. His racing career would really begin in 1955 when he used a 356 Coupe. He would then move on to a 550 and the difference would be like night and day. In 1957, Donner would go on a run winning four races in a row.

The winning ways would continue in 1959 when he took delivery of an RSK. At the wheel of the Spyder, Donner would go on another run winning six races in a row, four of which would be overall victories. Two more victories would come in 1960.

Therefore, Donner knew what Porsche had in its 718. As a result, Donner would purchase a new 718 RS61 for the 1961 season. He would take delivery of chassis 066 and would look forward to the start of the season. Over the next couple of seasons, Donner would go on to score more than a handful of overall and class victories. He would absolutely love the car, but, in 1964, he would sell the car to Eldon Beagle who would continue to campaign the car throughout that year in California.

After Beagle's period of ownership, 066 would pass through a number of hands. Its current owner would come by the car in the 1990s and would set about having the car fully restored. Every step possible to return the car to its original state would be taken and what resulted is certainly a tribute Donner and all of the overreaching Porsche 718s of the period of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Offered at the 2014 RM Auctions Scottsdale event, the 1961 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder, chassis 718-066, would be garnering estimates ranging from between $2,800,000 and $3,200,000.

Sources:
'1960 Porsche 718/RS60 News, Pictures, Specifications and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9972/Porsche-718/RS60.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9972/Porsche-718/RS60.aspx. Retrieved 8 January 2014.

'Complete Archive of Bob Donner', (http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/archive/Bob-Donner-USA.html?page=2). Racing Sports Cars. http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/archive/Bob-Donner-USA.html?page=2. Retrieved 8 January 2014.

'Lot No. 51: 1961 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder', (http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1063980). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1063980. Retrieved 8 January 2014.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Porsche 718', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 December 2013, 20:14 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porsche_718&oldid=587418975 accessed 8 January 2014

By Jeremy McMullen