Porsche 911- The Making Of A Legend

 main f

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sell a classic car Porsche 911. The infamous Porsche 911 or German Nuenelf was manufactured first in 1963.

The 901 concept of 1963 heralded the start of a production run even Porsche probably didn’t expect to reach – and no doubt surpass – six decades. It was designed as a larger, more practical version of the 356 with an extra pair of seats. As such, critics were quick to pounce on its lack of focus.

It’s a 2 door 2 + 2 high-performance sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart Germany.

It has :

  • Independent suspension
  • Rear mounted 6 cylinder boxer engine

The engines were air cooled until type 996 in 1998 so the Porsche “993” series were the last produced in the years 1994 – 98.

In the 1999 international poll, the Porsche 911 came fifth. It is one of the oldest sports coupe nameplates still in production and 820,000 had been sold by 2013 the car’s 50th anniversary.

Porsche 911 Classic (1963-1989)

Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche was the first to sketch the Porsche 911 and its development came as a replacement for the Porsche 356.

The car debuted at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show.

It was originally designated as the Porsche 901, 82 such cars being developed and built as 901’s. However, Peugeot protested saying that France had an exclusive right to car names formed by 3 numbers with a zero in the middle. Therefore Porsche changed the name of the car to the 911.

Production

The production began in September 1964 the first reaching America n February 1965. It had a price tag of $6,500.

It had a:

  1. 130 metric horsepower Type 901/01 flat-6 engine, air cooled and rear mounted

The car had 4 seats, 2 rear small seats.

It had a:

  1. 4 or 5-speed manual Type 901 transmission

Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche was in charge of the styling and overall concept for the car. Erwin Komenda, son of Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche was initially not a fan but later became involved in the body design.

The 356 came to the end of its production life in 1965, the Porsche 912 came the same year offering the de-tuned version of 356 SC’s 4 cylinder, 1582 cc 90 hp boxer four type 616/36 engine inside the 911 bodywork with type 901 four speed transmission.

In 1966 Porsche introduced:

  1. More powerful 911 S with type 901/02 engine
  2. Power raised to 160 PS
  3. Forged aluminum alloy wheels from Fuchs with 5 spoke design

In 1967 the A series went into production with:

  • Dual brake circuits
  • Widened wheels
  • Gasoline burning heater as optional.

The Targa (or plate in Italian) was introduced. The name came from the Targa Florio sports car road race undertaken in Sicily Italy in which Porsche had a number of victories until 1973.

The road-friendly Targa had a:

  • Removable roof panel
  • Removable plastic rear window

The 110 PS was launched in 1967 with a type 901/03 engine.

The 130 PS was renamed the 911L with Type 901/06 engine with ventilated front disc brakes.

The 911 R with 901/22 engine had a limited production only 20 altogether.

In 1969 the B series was introduced with increased wheelbase from 2,211 to 2,268 millimeters and fuel injection arrived for the 911S and new middle model the 911E.  The 911 E had a :

  • Torque Converter
  • Automatic Clutch
  • 4-speed transmission

Porsche 911 B17

The Porsche 911 B17 was designed by Pininfarina, the wheelbase being lengthened and creating a heavier car by almost 2,500 lb.

Porsche 911 B17 2.2. Liter/ C and D series (1969-71)

The Porsche 911 B17 in 1970 had:

  • An engine increased to 2,195 cc
  • Power outputs uprated to 125 PS in the 911T
  • 155 PS in the 911 E
  • 180 PS in the 911S

The 912 soon ceased with the 914 taking it’s placed swiftly.

The 911 E retained it’s acceleration up to 160 MPH and was still the quickest model.

Porsche 911 C20 1970

The Porsche 911 C20 was a prototype extended by 13.6 inches over the stock car with a 911S engine.

Porsche 911 2.4. Litre E and F Series 1971-1973

The 1971 and 1973 models consisted of the same models as the 911, the entry level T, The midrange E and the top of the line S.

All models got:

  1. New larger 2,341 cc engine known as the 2.4 L

The new power ratings were 130 hp, 140 hp for the T and 165 hp for the E and 190 HP for the S.

The Porsche 911 E and Porsche 911 S used MFI (Mechanical Fuel Injection) across the world.

The Porsche 911T was carburetted except in the U.S. where it used MFI.

1973

In January 1973 American Porsche 911T’s were switched to the new CIS (Continuous Fuel Injection) system created by Bosche.

Theses CIS powered cars are usually referred to as “1973.5” models by enthusiasts.

The 2.4 L cars also got a newer stronger transmission identified by it’s Porsche type number 915.

The 915 did away with the 901/911 transmission’s “dog leg” style first gear arrangement opting for a traditional H pattern, first gear to the left, second gear underneath etc.

Porsche 911 Handling

Due to where the engine was mounted on the Porsche 911 (in the rear) early 911’s were prone to oversteer when driven to their limits and caused spinouts often.

Porsche, therefore, relocated the oil tank to in front of the rear right wheel.

This moved the weight of almost 8.5L of oil from outside the wheelbase to inside improving weight distribution, therefore. Porsche installed an oil filler door on the right rear quarter panel. However, the design was scrapped after only a year as people were putting gas into the oil tank.

Therefore in the Porsche 911 1973 model the oil tank was moved back to the wheelbase for the 964 models.

The Porsche 911S models also had:

  1. Discreet spoiler under the front bumper to improve high-speed stability

These changes in safety meant continued success at the Daytona 6 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours and the 1000 KM Nurburgring and the Targa Florio.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1973 and 1974)

Known as the greatest 911’s of all time the RS got its name from the German Rennsport meaning “racing sport”.

The name Carrera came from the victories in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico in the 1950’s.

The Carrera 2.7 RS had a larger engine developing 210 PS with MFI and stiffened the suspension, a ducktail rear spoiler, larger brakes and wider rear wheels and rear wings.

The car was lighter as it used thin-gauge steel and thinner glass. All in all 1580 were produced.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0 1974

In 1974 the Carrera RS 3.0 appeared with:

  • K-Jetronic Bosch Fuel Injection producing 230PS

It was almost twice as expensive as the 2.7 RS.

The Carrera RSR 3.0 and Carrera RSR Turbo were made in tiny numbers for racing. The turbo car came second at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1974.

Porsche 911 2.7 Litre/ G, H, I and J (1974-1977)

Porsche 1974 was introduced with impact bumpers to conform with low-speed protection requirements of US law, these bumpers becoming so iconic they remained unchanged for 15 years.

In 1974 the engine size was increased to 2687 cc giving an increase in Torque. The K-Jetronic CIS Bosch Fuel Injection engine was used in the 911 and 911S models retaining the narrow wings of the old 2.4 and a detuned RS engine producing 150 and 175 BHP.

Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7/ G and H (1074-1975)

The Carrera 2.7 was identical to the 1973 RS. Weighed the same with the 210 bhp MFI engine. It had the RS rear wings and the ducktail from the 1974 model and was available in a coupe or a Targa.

In 1976 113 coupes with MFI were made and 30 MFI Targa’s were made exclusively for the Belgian police.

In the U.S. Carrera 2.7 were restricted to the 2.7 K-Jetronic as the MFI was restricted on emission grounds.

Power output was 175 bhp later reduced to 165bhp and in California 160 bhp.

The fitting of a 5 blade engine fan instead of the usual 11 blade further compounded the problem of pulled cylinder head studs which happened in hot climates.

Because the US was the largest market for Porsche the models all used aluminum alloy crankcases which were 15lb heavier.

The Bosch K-Jetronic CIS varied fuel pressure to the injectors dependent on the mass airflow. It was reliable but did not allow the use of the hot cams as MFI or carburetors allowed. The 911’s horsepower decreased from 190 to 175 PS despite the replacement increase from 2.4 to 2.7 L.

1976

The Porsche 912E was released in this year, it was a 4 cylinder version of the 911. It used the l-series chassis and the 2.0 Volkswagen engine from the Porsche 914. 2099 units were produced. In 1976 the Porsche 924 took the car’s place for the 1977 model year and beyond.

The power was supplied by a 4 cylinder high-performance fuel injection motor also used in the 411 Volkswagen with less than 6000 being built.

Porsche 911 E Type Carrera 3.0 (1976-1977)

In 1974 Porsche introduced the turbocharged 911, called simply the 911 Turbo in Europe.

In the U.S it was marketed as Porsche 930 with its distinctive body shape with wide wheel-arches, wide tires and a large rear spoiler known as a “whale tail” on the early cars and “tea tray” on the later.

The 3.0 L engine rose to 3.3 L by 1978.

Through 1981 and 1985 the Porsche 930 was withheld from the US and Japanese market due to emission regulations.

As demand rose at the tail end of the 80’s Porsche introduced some novelty variants including:

  • Slant Nose version

In 1989 the car was finally fixed with a five-speed gearbox but by 1990 the 930 was replaced with a 964 version with the same 3.3L engine.

 

Porsche 911 SC/ L,M,A,B,C and D Series (1978-1983)

 

In 1978 the new 3.0 L 911 SC was now the basic 911 model. It was in effect a Carrera 3 detuned to provide 180 PS.

 

The SC designation was reintroduced for the first time since the 356 SC.

The engineers felt that the weight of extra luxury safety and emissions equipment were blunting performance so in non-US models power was increased to 188 PS then finally to 204PS.

 

In 1980 Porsche offered a Weissach special edition version of the 911SC named after the town in Germany where research was made on the car.

 

It was designated an M439 offered in 2 colors with the turbo whale tail and front chin spoiler, body color matched Fuchs alloy wheels and other convenience features fitted as standard.

 

408 cars were built in North America and in 1982 a Ferry Porsche Edition was made and a total of 200 cars were sold in this style.

 

The Porsche 911 SC sold in the UK could be specified with the Sports Group Package which had:

 

  1. Stiffer suspension
  2. The rear spoiler
  3. Front rubber lip
  4. Black Fuchs Wheels

1981

A Porsche 911 Cabriolet concept car was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a true convertible and four-wheel drive.

The first 911 Cabriolet debuted in late 1982 and was Porsche’s first cabriolet since the 356 of the mid-1960’s.

4,214 were sold.

In 1979 Porsche had made plans to replace the 911 with their 928, however, the sales were so strong for the 911 so they decided to inject new life into the 911 editions.

58.914 Porsche 911 SC’s were produced.

 main f

Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera / E,F,G,H,I,J and K series (1984-1989)

In 1983 Porsche 911 launched a replacement for it’s SC series. It was the Porsche 1984 911 3.2 Carrera reviving the Carrera name from 1977.

The 911 3.2 Carrera was the last itineration of the 911 series with all models featuring :

  • New Body Styling and new brakes
  • Electronic and suspension technologies

A new higher displacement motor and a 3.2 liter flat 6 cylinder were utilized and one winglet manifold and exhaust systems were fitted.

They used the same transmission as was in the 915 and in 1987 the Carrera got a new five-speed gearbox sourced from Getrag, with Borg-Warner synchronizers. The heavier version also featured a hydraulically operated clutch

The new engine power increased by 207 bhp at 5900 rpm for American cars and to 231 bhp at 5900 rpm for other markets,

This model could do 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph.

The disc brakes were also increased in size and improved oil-fed chain tensioner was fitted to the engine.

A finned cooler replaced the serpentine lines in the front passenger fender well. In 1987 a thermostatically controlled fan was also added.

The fuel and injection system was upgraded to an L-Jetronic with Bosch Motronic 2 DME (Digital Motor Electrics System).

Changes in the fuel map and chip programming from 1986 onwards improved the power yet again to 217 bhp at 5900 rpm for North America and Germany etc

The Carrera Years

There were three basic models of the Carrera.

  1. The Coupe- priced at $31,950
  2. The Targa- priced at $33,450
  3. The Cabriolet- priced at $36,450

Very modest cosmetic changes were made throughout the lifespan of the Carrera with a re-designed dash with large air conditioning vents from 1986.

Special Editions of the Carrera

In 1988 the “Commemorative Edition” was released to commemorate 250,000 911’s produced and in 1989 an “Anniversary” edition which was a 25th Anniversary edition. Both of these were cosmetic packages with a limited production.

The Porsche 911 Speedster (M503) was a low roof version of the Cabriolet and 2104 were produced in January and July 1989.

171 narrow body examples were built and 823 examples which were built in the US market. It began as a Helmuth Bott design in 1983 but didn’t see the light until 1989.

Collectibles

The Porsche 911 Carrera Club Sport – only 340 produced with a higher rev limit, electric windows, electric seats and radio removed to claim 50kg in weight.

Production Stats

76,473 cars produced

19,987 Cabrio

18,468 Targa

In late 1989 the Porsche 911 underwent a major evolution with the introduction of the type Porsche 964 (from 1989 to 1993).

Porsche 911 964 Series 1989-1993

In late 1989 the 964 was introduced. It was launched as the Carrera 4, the four indicating 4 wheel drive. Drag coefficient was down to 0.32 with a rear spoiler deployed at high speed. It had a complete chassis were re-designed overall.

ABS Brakes and Coil springs and power steering made their first appearance and the engine’s size increased to 3600cc. The rear wheel drive version the Carrera 2 arrived a year later.

The 964 incarnation of the 911 Turbo returned in 1990 and used a refined version of the 3.3L engine of the previous Turbo but 2 years later a turbo engine based on the 3.6l engine appeared.

1990

Porsche introduced the Tiptronic automatic transmission in the 964 Carrera 2 and the 964 was one of the first cars to have dual airbags.

1992

Porsche introduced a limited edition RS model and in 1993 appeals from American customers created the RS of America of which 701 were built.

In 1994 rear seats were added and 84 RSA’s were made in 1994. The RS 3.8 of 93 had Turbo-style bodywork, fixed whale tail instead of the rear spoiler and a 300 PS 3746 cc engine.

There were 4 factory options available:

  • Limited slip differential
  • AM/FM Cassette Stereo
  • Air Conditioning
  • Sunroof

The interior was more basic too and although they were about $10,000 cheaper now they command a premium price on the used market over a standard 964.

Porsche 964 Turbo 1990-1994

Porsche introduced a Turbo version of the 964 in 1990, sometimes mistakenly called a 965.

For the 1991 to 93 model years, Porsche produced the 964 Turbo with the 3.3 L engine, improved to produce 320PS.

1994 brought the Carrera 2/4’s 3.6L engine now in turbocharged form and sending 360 PS to the rear wheels. It is quite a rare model indeed.

Porsche 993 Series (1994-98)

This model was significant as it was the first air-cooled 911 since 1964.

It was described as the ideal blend of technology and classic 911 air cooled heritage.

The exterior had new front ends and rear ends with revised smoother bodywork. Its front end was more aerodynamic like the 959.

Tony Hatter the English designer was the chief stylist under the supervision of deputy chief Harm Lagaay.

The 993 had:

  • Revised Bodywork
  • All new multilink rear suspension

These modifications reduced the 911’s liftoff oversteer problems.

Engine capacity remained at 3.6L and power rose to 272 PS.

The 993 was the first Porsche to debut variable-length intake runners with the Variocam system on 1996 models.

This system, however, failed smog tests because of the carbon deposits this new engine produced.

Meanwhile, a new 4 wheel drive system was introduced as an option in the form of the Carrera 4, the rear wheel drive versions simply being called Carrera or C2.

The RS 993 had a 3.8L engine with 300PS and was rear wheel drive only.

Non-Turbo Models appeared such as the Carrera S series (C2S) from 1997 through 1998 and these became the most sought-after versions of the 993.

Targa Open Top

The Targa Open Top had a large glass roof that slid under the rear window and had a limited release between 1996 and 98.

Investment Returns

The 1997 and 1998 C2S versions have proven the most desirable.

Of the widebody 993 series, the purists insist on 2 wheel drives.

Purists also want the manual over the automatic transmission. This is even more true of the Porsche 993 because they were the first production model to feature a 6-speed manual transmission.

The C2S wide body 993’s are scarce, none built in 1995 or 1996 and just 759 being built in America in 1997 with a final count of 993 in 1998 meaning only a total of 1,752 C2S examples overall.

Porsche 993 Turbo (1995-1997)

In 1995 a Turbo version of the 993 was released.

It was the first to have:

  1. Twin Turbochargers
  2. All Wheel Drive

The 3.6L twin turbo M64/60 Engine produced 408 PS.

1997

Porsche introduced 183 copies of the Porsche 993 911 Turbo S with 24PS over the regular Turbo’s 400 PS.

Its additional features included a scoop on the side right behind the doors for cooling the engine and whale tail rear spoiler vents.

Porsche 911 colors

  • Black
  • White
  • Racing Yellow
  • Guards Red
  • Metallic Colours – Jet Black
  • Rhodium Silver
  • Sapphire Blue
  • Agate Grey
  • Graphite Blue
  • Carrara White
  • Night Blue
  • GT Silver Metallic
  • Lava Orange
  • Miami Blue
  • Carmine Red
  • Dark Blue
  • Cobalt Blue
  • Midnight Blue
  • Night Blue
  • Baltic Blue
  • Horizon Blue
  • Speed Yellow
  • Fly Yellow
  • Burgundy
  • Amethyst
  • Raspberry
  • Purple
  • Grand Prix White
  • Polar Silver
  • Zermatt Silver
  • Linen Grey
  • Slate Grey
  • Amazon Green
  • Oak Green
  • Forest Green
  • Graphite Green
  • Mint Green
  • Signal Green
  • Satin Black
  • Black

 

Selling your Porsche 911? or want a valuation?

Then please call us today at Sell a classic car, we are the no hassle way to sell any classic car including your Porsche 911.

As a long time licensed and bonded California auto dealership, we will take care of all the paperwork for the sale of your car ….. properly take care of all the paperwork that is, with no car left still registered in your name; we will give you a fair and no BS immediate cash offer for the car; imagine no advertising costs, no dealing with “tire kickers”, no bad checks, no non-existent wire transfers, no waiting for your money and probably most importantly, no strangers at your home or in your business .. period.

We will also arrange the immediate professional pick up and transportation of your car by a licensed auto shipper from anywhere in the continental United States. Ultimately, we are one of the quickest, safest and easiest ways to sell your classic car today.

We have the knowledge and power to execute the deal immediately, so if you want some friendly advice or just a chat about how to sell us your Porsche 911 then don’t hesitate to call us on (310) 399-3990 now!