The 1961 Porsche RS was one of the last Spyders made by Porsche that used the potent 4-cam engine. It was a successor to the 1960 RS60 which was a highly developed version of the original 550 RS Spyder. These diminutive racecars excelled on the tighter courses like the Targa Florio which was first won by Porsche in 1956.
That victory marked the first time a sports car with a midship engine had won a major motor sports event. Afterward Porsche continued with the successful design and updated the 550A RS into the lower 718 RSK.The RS 61, along with the RS 60 before it, represented the peak development of the Spyder platform, still recognized as the Type 718.
These models shared a tubular space frame with the 1959 RSK but had a wheelbase extended by four inches. They also featured notable design changes due to stricter FIA regulations, including a larger windshield, an expanded cockpit, and the required space for an FIA-mandated suitcase.
Despite these regulatory changes, Porsche’s Spyders excelled, winning the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring and that year’s Targa Florio. Seeing no reason to alter a winning formula, Porsche continued producing the Type 718 in 1961 under the name RS 61.
Photo Source: RM Sotheby’s
