1966 Volkswagen Sports GP Spyder

This left-hand drive replica is a popular conversion based on a Beatle from 1966. The vendor won this car in a competition auction about 4 weeks ago. He has several other cars so feels as if it would do better going to a home that can give this car the road time it deserves. In the short while the vendor has owned it, he’s taken it out several times - the highlight being taking his grandson to his prom in it. To the vendor’s knowledge it’s been nicely built; the tonneau cover fits nicely; it has harness seat belts and it has had no other modifications. That being said, the seats are in lovely condition, so it might have benefited from a retrim at some point. In the words of the vendor: “It drives beautifully. It’s got two Weber carburettors which make it easy to drive." It’s had a new battery and new tyres installed and the vendor assures us that it runs well. “All I did was put the key in and it started beautifully”.

The bodywork is finished in silver, as used on all the factory racing Porsches. The Porsche 718 RSK is a beautiful looking car. And this replica is equally as stunning as an original, with the added bonus of it being made from fibreglass, so it doesn’t dent. Starting at the front of the GP Spyder, the silver paintwork is in great condition throughout, with no noticeable stone chips. The front nose section is moulded to wrap around into the wings and sitting pride of place is a Porsche badge. This section houses the headlights which are covered with a clear lexan type material, as was the original, and these are free from any cracks. Moving further up is the quick release fuel cap sitting inside a removable panel, which is undone from inside the car. Just above is the low windscreen. From the side, the 718 RSK tribute looks lovely. The panel gaps are nice and equal and on the front bonnet and sides is the number ‘31’. All these little touches show a real attention to detail. The doors have matching windows to the front but taper slightly towards the back of the door, leading into the quarter panel and rear of the car. This section starts with two large louvered vents, which allow cold air in. Moving around to the rear, there are the two larger re-chromed grills, which allow the hot air out. Either side are the lights, which are crack free, and then there's the custom-made stinger exhaust and a period looking number plate. The rear section lifts upwards towards the back of the car revealing the engine and gearbox.

The cockpit is particularly noteworthy with the rev-counter off-set just like an original RSK 60. The two seats have been trimmed in red leather and are adjustable, with racing-style full harnesses. The dashboard is furnished with two vintage style TAG Heuer stop watches.

Open the door and drop into the driver's seat to take you as close to the ground as the car will allow. There are some aluminium panels fastened to the edge of the sills to protect against scuffs when getting in and out of the car (though there are a few mild blemishes on the passenger sill). The red leather seats are in lovely condition, holding you nice and tight in a four-point harness. From the driver's seat you are faced with a period looking wood rimmed steering wheel with a Porsche horn push. To the right is the oil pressure, oil temperature and fuel gauges, together with some lights to indicate when lights are on etc. Further again to the right and just into the passenger side is the odometer showing a reading of 16,192. The passenger has a foot rest to brace themselves against, should they feel the need to in the agile racer.

The 1584cc VW block is a flat four-cylinder overhead valve engine which can push this motor to around 90bhp at 5,000 rpm. The engine runs on standard unleaded. Gases are exited via the custom-made, stainless-steel exhaust with the Stinger tailpipe exhaust. Coupled to a VW transaxle 4-speed gearbox, the gear change is precise. The car is quick to a halt thanks to the front disc brakes, which are a replica of the 718 RSK discs used in 1959. Porsche at the time were being out-braked out on the track, so the Porsche engineers cut the faces from brake drums fitted on the 718s, and used these as the hub, with a brake disc mounted behind. The underside looks tidy, aside from the build-up of grime inside the wheel arch and some surface rust on the exhaust.

This car was first registered on 14th July 1966. With the vendor owning this car for such a short period, he couldn’t shed too much light about this car’s history. However, the car comes with paperwork which documents the details of the build.

This 1966 VW GP Spyder is a fantastic tribute to the 1959 Porsche 718 RSK. Based mainly on VW parts, this makes parts readily available and relatively easy to work on. If you want a car to draw attention this is the one! It can be used reliably and will put a smile on your face every time you step into the Spyder. Perfect for the summer months, out for a blast in the early evening, or to a local classic car coffee morning, it’s sure to bring you plenty of enjoyment. We estimate this beautiful tribute 718 RSK to reach between £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.