Vintage Porsche. Derek Bell. Sicily.
What more do you need to know?
Derek Bell is the man. Five wins at the Le Mans, three at Daytona. F1 Grand Prix starts for both Ferrari and McLaren. Touring car credentials from his days driving the BMW 3.0 CSL, and a British MBE to boot. Now 74-years old, the man’s career spanned a glorious eternity. When Bell drove his first race, the Lamborghini Miura had just debuted; the last time he won Le Mans, it was behind the wheel of a McLaren F1 GTR. Save for maybe Hurley Haywood, Bell is probably the greatest living endurance racer.
And the Porsche 718? Back before it was the designation for Boxster and Cayman, those three numbers were motorsports currency. Successor to the Type 550A, the 718 became an archetype during the late Fifties and early Sixties. Lightweight, mid-engine, underpowered and pliable. In various spec, its bones served as the basis for an endurance racer, F1 and F2 car, and a hillclimb champion. Also, a road rally beast. Which is how this 718 RS 60 won the illustrious Targa Florio in 1960.
The two meet in Sicily. No speed records were set, but some neat stuff happened, and the scenery was incredible. Check it out in the video below.
