Porsche 550, RSK and 718: Books - History and Construction

Porsche Spyders 1956-1964 - Type 550A, RSK and 718

The great success that Porsche enjoyed with its first 550 Spyders spurred its small but effective racing cadre to a more ambitious design with its 1956 Type 550A. A stiffer space frame was inside the 550A that Umberto Maglioli drove single-handed to win the 1956 Targa Florio, hailed at the time as Porsche's greatest victory.
Experiments in 1956 with an even smaller racer, the Type 645, ended with a disastrous crash. Not for nothing was it nicknamed Mickey Mouse.

In 1957 Porsche created the immortal RSK, a race and hillclimb winner. The RS60 arrived in 1960 to meet new rules, winning Sebring outright. It evolved into the RS61 and then the Type 718, using the Grand Prix eight-cylinder engine.

Races and hillclimbs throughout the world were mastered by these agile silver cars through 1964. See them all depicted in magnificent images from the Ludvigsen Library.

46: The Birth of Porsche Motorsport

NEW

This book chronicles Porsche's triumphant post-World War II journey, overcoming challenges to set records in their inaugural year at Le Mans, the Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, and Montlhéry. The pivotal SL 356/2 063 marked the genesis of Porsche Motorsport's enduring success.
Upon its arrival in the US, under John von Neumann's stewardship, the car secured racing triumphs, foreshadowing Porsche's future commercial triumphs. In 1982, SL 356/2 063 became a fixture at the Monterey Historic Races.

Under Cameron Healy's ownership in 2010, experts confirmed it as Porsche's inaugural Le Mans contender and class victor. Rod Emory and his team meticulously restored the car to its 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans starting grid appearance.
This book unveils the comprehensive narrative, enriched with unprecedented photographs and documentation, offering an unparalleled insight into Porsche's racing legacy.

Porsche at Le Mans

Porsche's first visit to Le Mans came in 1951 with a streamlined 356 model, complete with aerodynamic wheel fairings. In a precursor to the reputation Porsche would establish over the next seven decades at the famous endurance race, the 356 ran like clockwork, beating the coveted record for the shortest time spent in the pits. Since that memorable debut, Porsche has won outright at Le Mans 19 times, more than any other marque, with a record series of seven consecutive victories from 1981 to 1987. This beautifully designed and extensively illustrated book is your definitive history of Porsche's participation at La Sarthe, chronicling the exploits of both the works team cars and privateer entries.

Since 1951, Porsche has been represented at every single running of the 24 Hours. The models that have taken part comprise a roll call of great sports racing cars: 550 Spyder, 718 RSK, 904, 906, 907, 908, 910, 917, 936, 935, 956, 962, and GT1 - right up to the hybrid 919 that won from 2015 through 2017. To this daunting list can be added the ubiquitous 911, the privateer's choice for the race (in 1971, a year that saw a record number of Porsches take part, 19 of the 33 Porsches in the race were 911s). And hundreds of them are depicted in historical photos.

In addition to the legendary cars, you will bear witness to the exploits of Porsche drivers, a veritable murderer's row of motorsport greats, including Derek Bell, Herbert Muller, Helio Castroneves, Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Jo Siffert, Jochen Rindt, Mark Donohue, and Vic Elford, to name just a few.

Meticulously compiled by noted Porsche historian Glen Smale, Porsche at Le Mans is the most exhaustive celebration of the subject, created with full access to the Porsche archives in Stuttgart. The resulting tome is a treasure trove of history, photographs, data, and technical information, indispensable to any serious Porsche or motorsport enthusiast.

Porsche Spyders: Type 550 1953-1956

n. The pedigree of Porsche as car designers was brilliantly affirmed by its creation of the 550 Spyder competition roadster. See the 550 Spyder in all its variations, from its origins in experimental Porsche models to the amazing and finely crafted one-off specials of Walter Glockler.
With its superb four-cam flat-four engine designed by Ernst Fuhrmann, the 550 became known as a giant-killer for its racing successes on tracks all over the world. As tough as it was handsome, the 550 was winning races years after its official launch at the Paris Salon in 1953.

Exclusive photography of the 550 in the Ludvigsen Library shows its engineering, its evolution and in action in races in Europe and North America. This book is must reading for all Porsche enthusiasts.

Porsche 550 Spyder

In 1953 Porsche began to build cars especially designed for motorsports, starting with the 1500 RS Spyder, the then official name. The light construction with under 700 kilos kerb weight plus the powerful engine made for excellent driving performances and it was road legal, too.
In this fine box, Stefan Bogner captures the classic and pure form of the Spyder and stages some of the rare original models in a large-format coffee-table book. A separate factbook contains well- and lesser-known information on the groundbreaking sports car.

The sporting successes of the Porsche 550 Spyder are legendary: In 1956 Umberto Maglioli achieved the first motorsports overall-victory for Porsche at the Targa Florio. Numerous victories and podium finishes followed.
Until 1957 just a little more than 100 Spyders were built, which makes the car one of the most expensive Porsches today. Its most famous owner adds to this: The news of James Dean's tragic death by accident in a 550 Spyder went around the world - to this day both are immortal.
Have a look at one of the most exclusive Porsche models of all times and experience a piece of German automobile history!

Porsche - La passion du sport (2e édition)

Cet ouvrage qui s'inscrit dans la collection "Dossier Chronologique" nous présente année par année l'histoire d'un nom mythique entre tous du sport automobile : Ferdinand Porsche. Tout à la fois concepteur, ingénieur hors pair et fabricant, son nom est indissociable de la marque la plus sportive de l'automobile allemande.

Illustré de nombreux documents en couleurs issus des archives Porsche, comme de collections privées inédites, ce livre englobe les caractéristiques techniques et l'histoire de tous les modèles, et se veut l'ouvrage de référence des inconditionnels de la marque ainsi que de tous les amateurs de belle mécanique sportive.

Porsche au Mans - 70 ans

Soixante-dix ans de participation de Porsche à la plus grande course automobile du monde ! Après le triomphe de la 356 engagée dans l'édition 1951, Porsche a accumulé plus de succès au Mans que tout autre constructeur, dont sept victoires consécutives de 1981 à 1987, un record.

L'auteur nous embarque à bord des voitures mythiques - 550 Spyder, 718 RSK, 904, 906, 907, 908, 910, 917, 936, 935, 956, 962, GT1 et la 919 hybride, victorieuse de 2015 à 2017 -, pour revivre les exploits des pilotes légendaires tels que Derek Bell, Herbert Muller, Helio Castroneves, Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Jo Siffert, Jochen Rindt, Mark Donohue et Vic Elford.
Un précieux recueil d'histoires épiques, de résultats de course, de photos, de données et d'informations techniques...

Mythos Le Mans - Die Porsche-Sieger - Autos, Technik, Fahrer

Seit 1923 werden in Le Mans Legenden geschrieben, Helden geboren und Zukunft erprobt. Und mit 19 Siegen hat Porsche weit mehr als andere Marken zum Mythos beigetragen.
Auch die Porsche-Rennwagen wurden zu absoluten Ikonen, das gilt für den ersten Le-Mans-Siegertyp 917 sowie für den bislang letzten Typ 919 Hybrid.

Diese Porsche-Sieger hat Starfotograf Rene in seine Studios gebeten: Kunstvoll arrangiert und mit einem Blick fürs Detail, gewinnt er den Sportwagen immer wieder neue Facetten ab. Und kaum weniger atemberaubend als die Fotokunst ist das, was Fahrer, Techniker und Ingenieure zu den einzelnen Typen zu erzählen wissen!

Porsche - Das Rennen vor dem Rennen - Der Weg nach Le Mans

Geheim wie ein Polaris-U-Boot wird die Entwicklung eines Rennwagens gehalten. Sportlicher und wirtschaftlicher Erfolg stehen auf dem Spiel. Vor knapp 50 Jahren hat Porsche erstmals die verschlossenen Türen geöffnet und den Blick auf Entwicklung und Versuch freigegeben. Paul Frère wirft in diesem Band einen Blick hinter die Kulissen und schildert die fieberhaften Arbeiten vor dem Rennen und zwischen den Veranstaltungen, um Leistung und Fahrverhalten zu verbessern oder um Defekte auszubügeln.
Dabei nennt er auch die Gründe, die in so manchem Rennen den Sieg gekostet haben und enthüllt den langen Entwicklungsweg zu einem erfolgreichen Wettbewerbswagen.