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Most people are relatively familiar with the basic origins of Porsche and the 911, but few realize that it was only the second road car series produced by Porsche as an automaker. The first was of course the 356 of 1948, and while it shared few common parts with the Volkswagen Beetle, their common ancestry was apparent in both design and layout. The efficient-looking 356 clearly benefitted from the streamlin- ing work pioneered by Paul Jaray and the pre-war VW Type 64 racer. Endear- ing though the 356 may have been — and beautifully built — it was also plump and dowdy. The Butzi Porsche- designed 911 (which was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963) had a lower beltline, more glass and lovely elliptical rear quarter windows retained to this day. Quite simply, the 911 was beautiful where the 356 was not.
EARLY YEARS
While the basic architecture of the 911’s rear engine and torsion bar suspension harked back to the 356 and the pre- war Beetle, other than the floor-hinged pedals and primitive heater, by the 911’s introduction, most of the VW-ness was confined soley to the Porsche’s DNA. One of the main goals of the Type 901 — as the 911 was officially known (Peugeot claimed a trademark on the digit-zero- digit nomenclature) — was to expand the performance envelope beyond that of the 356, which strained to do a steady 100 mph. The costly and complicated four-cam, four-cylinder Carrera engine used in race cars like the 550 Spyder, the 904 and a limited number of 356 street
1965
MSRP: $7,231 The original 911 featured a 148-bhp flat six, disc brakes and a fresh look.
1965 911 VALUE RANGE: $49,800–$136,000 34
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cars was a developmental blind alley. The flat-six of the 911, with its chain-driven single overhead cams, was simpler to assemble and had far more potential. In its initial 2-liter form, it produced a full 40 more horsepower than the Super 90 356 motor. A top speed of 100 mph was now easy, and 130 mph was within reach.
The early years of 1964–65 were a bit of a soft launch as the 911 was built in small numbers and offered alongside the 356C, which was superseded by the four-cylinder 912. After 1965, develop- ment of the 911 proceeded at a far more furious pace than typical for conservative Porsche. For 1967, Porsche added the 911S, a high-performance variant with 180 hp on which the company first de- buted the iconic Fuchs alloy wheels. Al- though lacking in low-end grunt, above 4,000 rpm, there was nothing like it. Road & Track wrote that it “had performance on the order of an American muscle car, without the stigma of low cost.” Porsche also offered an open version of the 911 for the first time in the Targa, which had a lift-off roof, fixed roll hoop and, initially, a folding soft rear window.
For 1969, the wheelbase grew a few inches (engine placement stayed the same and the rear half shafts were angled back), and the fenders were sub- tly flared to accommodate larger wheels and tires; with the additional power of the 911S, the skinny 4.5-inch wheels and 165x15 tires were beginning to show their limitations in restraining the natural tail-wagging tendencies of the 911. As the saying goes: “There are two kinds
1967
1967 911 S MSRP: $6,500 With higher compression (9.8:1 vs. 9.0:1) and the debut of the Fuchs alloy wheels and vented disc brakes, the 911S set new standards in handling and performance, even for Porsche.
VALUE RANGE: $37,600–$129,000
of 911 drivers, those who have spun and those who will spin.”
Also by 1969, a three-tiered model lineup had developed: the 911T with 110 hp and carburetors; the 911E with 160 hp, mechanical fuel injection and more com- fort options; and the 180-hp 911S, also fuel-injected. Over the next four model years, horsepower increased a bit and there were two displacement increases, from 2.0 to 2.2 liters and then to 2.4 liters, which improved low-end torque. The four-cylinder 912 disappeared after 1969.
SURVIVING AND THRIVING
Like other automakers, in the 1970s Porsche faced tightening emissions and safety requirements. Unlike many other manufacturers, however, new bumper laws didn’t deface Porsche’s products, nor did emissions laws emasculate them. Bosch K-Jetronic electronic fuel injection became standard on the 1973½ 911T, which made it perhaps the smoothest and most pleasant 911 yet. The 210-hp duck-tailed Carrera RS also bowed in 1973, although sadly, this can- didate for the best 911 ever was never officially imported into the U.S.
The first major style change to the 911 came in 1974, with the advent of 5 mph bumpers. They were well integrated and did nothing to spoil the car’s looks. Simultaneously, there was another dis- placement bump, to 2.7 liters. Unfortu- nately, the one misstep made by Porsche during these tough years was the use of heat-producing thermal reactors along with differing metals in the engine case,
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