Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 718-023
Engine No. 90215
Transmission No. 718101
Porsche's first true post-war racing car, the 550 Spyder, was
described by Christophorus, Porsche's factory publication, rather
dryly upon debut. "Unlike the normal Porsche arrangement, in the
Spyder the engine is mounted in front of the back axle while the
gearbox is placed behind the axle. The engine is easily accessible,
since the whole of the tail can be hinged upwards." Porsche went on
to discuss the fuel tank capacity (65 or 90 liters), spare wheel
location (at the rear), and maximum speed for the 1.5-liter Carrera
four-cam engine (7,000 rpm).
What Porsche failed to capture was that the light, lithe aluminum
bodied sports racer would be an instant hit, catapulting Porsche to
their first overall World Sportscar Championship race win (the 1956
Targa Florio) and a near-countless haul of class wins for the
factory and privateers alike in Europe, North and South America,
and even Africa. What was officially known as the 550 Spyder became
the "Giant Killer," setting the template for future designs, the
structure of the Porsche System Engineering factory race team, and
the customer racing department.
Over the winter of 1958 and into 1959, Porsche would develop their
latest Giant Killer, the Porsche 718 RSK Spyder. The new four-cam
powered Spyder represented a major leap forward-lighter, faster,
and more technically sophisticated than anything Porsche had
previously fielded. The 718 featured a newly designed space frame,
welded from extruded steel tubes, that was both lighter and
stronger. The bodywork by Wendler Karosserie of Reutlingen was
lowered to reduce aerodynamic drag, and its front profile was
dramatically smoothed mirroring that of the Type 645 "Mickeymaus"
prototype. A smooth, uninterrupted body surface with no large air
intakes enhanced airflow. A unique detail of the design was the
integration of engine oil lines through the front hood, allowing
the panel itself to serve as a secondary cooling device.
The 718 RSK featured louvered panels and "Turbofin" vanes directing
air to large drum brakes, while its bodywork evolved with vertical
tail fins and faired-over passenger seat for long endurance races.
Weighing under 530 kilograms, it introduced major suspension
changes, including coil springs and telescopic dampers replacing
the rear torsion bars. A mid-mounted steering wheel and symmetrical
track rods hinted at Formula Two potential. Its refined four-cam
flat-four engine produced up to 148 horsepower, paired with a
five-speed gearbox, delivering standout performance on world-class
circuits.
Over the 1958 and 1959 race seasons, the 718 RSK-with its renowned
Fuhrmann four-cam engine-proved itself across nearly every level of
international motorsport. It was a consistent front-runner, earning
podiums and outright wins in long-distance endurance events, sprint
races, punishing hill climbs, true road courses like the Targa
Florio, and even Formula Two competition thanks to a center-seat
layout. Its success reflects Porsche's characteristic focus on
thoughtful engineering to be a "jack of all trades" with a longer
evolution and built-in reliability.
After building seven in-house "werks" cars for its factory team in
1958, Porsche began producing customer RSK Spyders late that year.
Customer cars began with chassis number 718-011 and debuted in
January 1959. Just 24 examples were built over the next seven
months, headed to privateers around the globe looking to emulate
the factory's success. Chassis number 718-023 was one of those rare
24 customer cars. Porsche Carrera Four-Cam by Sprenger and
Heinrichs lists the build specification. With its bodywork finished
at Wendler, chassis number 023 completed production at Porsche's
Werks 1 race department in March 1959 in Silver Metallic over a Red
upholstered interior. Factory notes record the car was destined to
be delivered to the French Sonauto distributor before it landed in
the United States with Roy Schechter of Miami, Florida.
Schechter was a New Yorker who earned his wings after enlisting in
the United States Army Air Corps in 1944. Flying the B-24, he
completed over 50 combat missions and later flew P-38 and P-47
fighters from North Africa receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross
and Air Medal for his virtuous efforts. Upon returning home,
Schechter moved to Florida and began racing with the SCCA in a
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. He quickly moved to more pure-bred
racing machinery including a Lotus 11 and then, by 1958, a used
Porsche 550 Spyder that would launch him into the next phase of his
career.
With Schechter at the wheel, Porsche 718 RSK chassis 023 was
immediately successful. Entered as start number 7 in the Las Cuatro
Horas de Alamar, a four-hour street circuit race in Cuba, Schechter
finished 4th overall on debut. In October the RSK, now with start
number 27, was entered in the SCCA's Fifth Annual Sports Car Races
at Courtland Airbase where Schechter won the main Ingram Trophy
race and took a further second place in a full field that consisted
of a Jaguar XKSS, Maserati 450S, and Ferrari 750 Monza. Later that
month, again as number 27, the RSK was driven to podium places in
all three weekend races at Napier Field in Alabama. In December,
RSK 718-023 made the trek to the Bahamas for the Nassau Trophy Road
Races as part of Bahamas Speed Week.
The races at Oakes Field course in the late 1950s offered a
sun-soaked atmosphere for not only American competitors but many of
the finest European drivers and teams already weary of the
impending winter. As a result, Nassau became a who's who of the
world's best drivers with names like Moss, Gurney, Shelby, Hill,
Brabham, Rodriguez, Bonnier, and Salvadori with Schechter and the
RSK included! The Spyder was entered in the F class races and that
group included Ken Miles, Harry Blanchard, Johnny Cuevas, Jim
Rathman, and Bob Holbert. Quite the group! Over four races that
week, the car, again as start number 27, finished every race with a
best of 5th in the Governor's Trophy and an incredible 3rd place
podium finish in the all-Porsche Race behind Harry Blanchard and
Count Wolfgang von Trips! Quite the finish for a very successful
1959 race season. To start 1960, it is noted that Schechter entered
023 into the Gran Premio Libertad races in Cuba but did not attend.
The car then took part in the first round of the SCCA National
Sports Car Championship at Corry Field in Pensacola, Florida, that
April. It was a successful weekend for Schechter finishing 4th
overall and 2nd in class to Roger Penske in another RSK.
Interestingly, Schechter's successes with RSK Spyder 023 landed him
a ride with Bob Holbert and his Brumos supported 718 RS 60 Spyder
for the 1960 Sebring 12 Hours finishing second overall!
By this point Schechter had become a Porsche dealer and, looking to
add a Volkswagen franchise to bolster sales, decided to concentrate
on his expanding business and sold 718-023 to Tom Beil of
Pennsylvania. A September 1960 Road & Track advertisement describes
the car listed for $8,500 as "hasn't been run since major o/haul.
Ready to go." According to the Riesentoter Region's Porsche Club of
America magazine Der Gasser, Beil was active in Pennsylvania hill
climbs-one of the many diverse racing formats for which the RSK had
been purpose-built. Records show that Beil diced with Jim Haas in a
similar RSK setting class records in what became known as "battle
of the RSKs."
Next the RSK joined the growing Denver, Colorado, Porsche
collection of Dr. William E. Jackson by the late 1960s. Dr. Jackson
was an ophthalmologist obsessed with building one of ...for more
information please contact the seller.
