A ‘Tooned’ 1959 Porsche RSK Spyder
- Images by Shawn Glad
This drawing captures a side view of the 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder—specifically, chassis No. 718-028. This one’s got a rich history, starting with its first owner, Christian Goethals from Belgium. Goethals took it to the track for a season and managed to snag first place at the 1959 Leopoldville Grand Prix in what’s now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Not a bad way to break it in!
The 718 RSK Spyder made its debut in 1957, and it came to race. Building on the legendary 550 Spyder, the RSK was packed with a purpose-built spaceframe chassis and the advanced Type 547 DOHC engine. Only a handful—about six in total—were made with the rare center-steering configuration. Chassis 718-028 was one of these few and could even switch between center- and offset-steering setups, making it versatile for both Formula 2 and sports car races.
Goethals racked up some impressive results with 718-028, including a sixth overall and third in class finish at the 1960 Buenos Aires 1000km Grand Prix, plus two wins at the Lance Anvers hillclimb in Belgium. After the 1960 season, he had Porsche swap in a 1600cc engine before selling it to an American collector. Since then, this Spyder has seen several owners and was eventually restored for vintage racing, hitting over 100 events with driver John Higgins.
Today, chassis No. 718-028 still has its original Wendler alloy bodywork and has been lovingly maintained, including an engine rebuild by Porsche 4-cam expert Bill Doyle. With its unique ability to switch between center-seat and left-hand, two-seat setups, it’s eligible for a range of vintage racing events—dare to dream!
About the Illustration
Another “Tooned” drawing of a car I’ve only seen a handful of times in person, yet it continues to capture my attention whenever I’m sketching—whether on a notepad or, in this case, my iPad using Procreate. When I sketch freely, I rarely start with a particular style in mind. Instead, I’m often influenced by the world around me, whatever I last drew, or simply by the fun of seeing where each new mark leads on a clean sheet of paper—or, in this case, a screen of pixels.
Process Drawing Sketched in Procreate
As I mentioned in a previous drawing of “Rod Hall’s Stroppe-Built Ford Bronco,” I’m a big fan of using the iPad for sketching out ideas or just doodling over the lunch hour to pass the time—so I hope you enjoy this one too.
Cheers!