1959 Porsche 718 RSK Roadster

Emil Beck Pardee of Palo Alto, California took delivery of this Porsche on March 4th of 1959 and raced it with great success throughout the 1959 to 1961 SCCA seasons. During 14 starts, Pardee placed 1st in Class on 10 occasions, with nine podiums in the overall standings and three overall victories. The RSK then passed through several well-known California Porsche racers throughout the 1960s, including Don Wester and Haig Alltounian. Alltounian raced the Porsche in six events in 1964, finishing first in the novice class in every race except one. During competition, the connecting rod of the RSK's original engine went through the block, and by 1963, was no longer with the car.

To remain competitive, the RSK received fender flares with wider wheels and tires by 1968, and by this point, it was owned and campaigned by Dieter Vongehr, who fitted it with a pushrod engine and used it in various events.

The current owner's father acquired this Porsche in 1970 from a physician in South Carolina and raced it in SCCA competition. After retiring from competition, the RSK was driven a few times on the street before being placed into storage for the next 44 years.

In 2014, the Porsche RSK was sent to Ray Morgan of Vintage Motorcar Restorations in Jasper, Georgia, for a complete restoration. The exhaustive restoration process took over three and a half years to complete.

When the Porsche entered the care of the current owner's father, it employed a pushrod 356 engine, but it also came with a four-cam engine, which the new owner thought to be the original unit. The 4-cam engine was sent to the Porsche factory in the 1970s to be restored. The engine currently installed in the car has the correct engine number, but is missing its sequence and type number. A casting number on the case dates it from 1960, making it clear that this is not the original engine for the car. The gearbox is believed to be original.

The RSK made its restoration debut in 2018 at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. It was then showcased on display for about six months at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2022

This 718 RSK was produced on March 4, 1959 and was used to meet the homologation requirements set by the FIA requiring a passenger seat, turn signals, horn and spare tire. Employing a 1587 cc, 4-cam type 547/3 engine producing 145 horsepower, #018 was equipped for endurance with a second fuel tank placed inside the right pod. It was built to take the constant pounding generated on race tracks and hill climbs. It was priced at about $8,000. Thirty-seven RSK type 718s were built by the German fabricator Wendler for Porsche in 1958 and 1959. Emil Pardee of Palo Alto, CA was the first owner who raced it extensively on the west coast until the mid 1960s. It was then placed in storage for the next forty-five years.

In 2014 the 718 RSK was pulled from storage. Restoration was not easy as the years had taken their toll. It had been partially disassembled and parts were packed in boxes without regard for component identification. It is now restored to its original specifications.