Porsche 911 2,0 901/06 Softwindow Targa

Car producer : 

Porsche

Model:

911 2,0 901/06 Softwindow Targa

Year:

1967-1968

Type:

Cabriolet



The earliest editions of the 911 had a 130 PS (96 kW) flat-6 engine, in the "boxer" configuration like the 356, air-cooled and rear-mounted, displaced 1991 cc compared with the 356's four-cylinder, 1600 cc unit. The car had four seats although the rear seats are very small, and the car is usually called a 2+2 rather than a four-seater (the 356 was also a 2+2). It was mated to a five-speed manual "Type 901" transmission. The styling was largely by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, son of Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. Erwin Komenda, the leader of the Porsche car body construction department, was also involved in the design.

Production of the new Porsche began in September 1964. Of the first 232 cars built in 1964, the first 82 received the 901 designation. The other 150 were labeled as 911s, though the 901 nomenclature continued to be used for internal parts designation for years thereafter. Currently only 45 of the ’64 901/911s are known to exist, making the first year of the iconic Porsche very rare indeed.

The 356 came to the end of its production life in 1965, but there was still a market for a 4-cylinder car, particularly in the USA. The Porsche 912, introduced the same year, served as a direct replacement. It used the 356's 4-cylinder, 1600 cc, 90 hp (67 kW) engine but wore the 911 bodywork.

In 1966 Porsche introduced the more powerful 911S, the engine's power raised to 160 PS (120 kW; 160 hp). Alloy wheels from Fuchs, in a distinctive 5-leaf design, were offered for the first time. In motorsport at the same time, installed in the mid-engined Porsche 904 and Porsche 906, the engine was developed to 210 PS (154 kW).

In 1967 the Targa version was introduced as a "stop gap" model. The Targa had a stainless steel-clad roll bar, as Porsche had, at one point, thought that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would outlaw fully open convertibles in the US, an important market for the 356. The name "Targa" (which means "shield" in Italian) came from the Targa Florio sports car road race in Sicily, Italy in which Porsche had notable success, with seven victories since 1956, and four more to come until 1973. This last win in the subsequently discontinued event is especially notable as it was scored with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Italian factories of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The road going Targa was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered alongside from 1968).

The 110 PS (81 kW; 110 hp) 911T was also launched in 1967 and effectively replaced the 912. The staple 130 PS (96 kW; 130 hp) model was renamed the 911L. The 911R had a very limited production (20 in all). This was a lightweight racing version with thin aluminium doors, a magnesium crankcase, twin-spark cylinder heads, and a power output of 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp).

In 1969 the B series was introduced: the wheelbase for all 911 and 912 models was increased from 2,211 to 2,268 millimetres (87.0 to 89.3 in), an effective remedy to the car's nervous handling at the limit. The overall length of the car did not change: rather, the rear wheels were relocated aft. Fuel injection arrived for the 911S and for a new middle model, 911E. A semi-automatic Sportomatic model, composed of a torque converter, an automatic clutch, and the four-speed transmission, was added to the product lineup.

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