The Porsche 911 is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and originally a torsion bar suspension. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged.
With a new concept in development Porsche was responding to increased safety requirements for open-top cars in the American market, countering voices calling for cabriolets to be completely banned in the US. It was back in August 1965 that Porsche applied for a patent to cover its new ‘semi-convertible’ and, in the autumn of 1966, work began on the assembly of a series of pre-production examples. As yet, the new model didn’t have a name to differentiate it from the regular coupé versions of the 911 and 912.
When deciding on a name for the model, consideration was given to race tracks where Porsche has been particularly successful, quickly leading to Targa Florio – the road race in Sicily where Porsche has enjoyed great motorsport success since the mid 1950s. For a short while, “911 Flori” was under discussion, until Head of Domestic Sales Harald Wagner stumbled on the answer by asking the question: “Why don‘t we just call it Targa?” The Italian term also means “number plate”, but legend has it that this only came to light when the copywriters were working on the sales brochure.
Porsche applied for a patent for the Targa concept and from autumn 1966 the Targa supplemented the Coupé for the 911, 911 S and 912 with resounding success.
EQUIPMENT
Soft rear window, 901 5 speed gearbox, Wood rimmed steering wheel, Gold badging, Black Leatherette interior, Webasto auxiliary heater
EXTERIOR
Finished in an exquisite shade of Polo Red, significantly it’s original colour from factory, this soft window Targa is as good as it gets. The Red paintwork catches the time period perfectly and as you’d expect from a recent ground up nut and bolt restoration the finish is flawless and machine polished to perfection. With subtle Gold model inscription, all of the trim and chrome work looks fresh and free of marks with the Targa roll hoop resplendent in it’s traditional satin finish. The non-impact bumpers, of which help create the original 911 silhouette, are unmarked and illustrate a truly iconic sports car that spans generations.
From todays 991 to the original 901 the heritage runs throughout the years and that is what makes this Targa as relevant today as it was 46 years ago.
INTERIOR
In quite remarkable condition, the cabin space is an experience in itself even before coaxing that formidable flat six into life. The black interior trim is immaculate, complimented by a touch of class to the dash inscription and wooden rimmed steering wheel, with carpets, mats and belts as new. Instantly recognisable, the classic dials and dash set the tone for a well designed interior focused around the driver; setting the standard for many generations of 911s to come.
The light fabric roof and Targa soft top set a quite unique tone for this age defining classic and indeed only 925 units with S engine, short wheelbase and soft window were produced by Porsche between the end of 1966 and 1968.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Popping the rear deck lid open reveals an immaculate engine bay that looks fresh off the production line in Stuttgart; it is simply a work of art.
After a thorough engine and drivetrain strip and rebuild this matching numbers Targa performs beautifully on the road. The sonorous flat 6 is mated to the renowned 901 ‘box; a purists favourite considering the input and output shafts are closer together resulting in a shift that seems more fluid than the 915 that replaced it.
WHEELS, TYRES & BRAKES
Genuine 4.5j x 15 Fuchs present in as new condition wrapped in homologated Pirelli Cinturato CN36 rubber as fitted in period.
The braking system has been totally overhauled, suffice to say with minimal mileage covered the brakes have only just been cycled through as part of running in.
HISTORY FILE
This 1967 Porsche 911 Targa, chassis number 500017, is one of the earliest examples known to survive. Records suggest that it predates the first Targa believed to have been sold to a member of the public, which is known to have carried the chassis number 500021. On completion, this very early Targa soft window was delivered to Fleischauer of Cologne and first registered on 31st January 1967. Chassis number 500018 was delivered to the USA on the same day, suggesting that these two cars could well have been used to promote sales of the new model in both the domestic and the largest export markets.
The factory Kardex (the written record retained by Porsche showing the build date and specification of each new vehicle, a copy of which accompanies the car) shows that the engine – number 911124 – is original to chassis number 500017. Worthy of note is that while this engine (type 901/01) forms part of the range 909001 to 912050 as installed in 911s of this era, it predates the engines fitted to production Targas, which began with number 911191.
The Targa remained in German hands until 1982 when it was imported into the UK, at which point it was registered as XEF 88Y on 17th September 1982. In November 1990 it was issued with the current age-related number (SVN 99D). The first UK owner is unknown but the second, Barbara Hutt of Middlesbrough, acquired it in 1983 before selling it to John Bennett in Prudhoe in 1989. Mr Bennett kept the car for only a short time, selling it to Darren Weighhell of Northallerton a year later. From that point on it remained in the same family (with a further two registered owners) until it was taken off the road several years later.
Marque specialists Williams Crawford of Saltash, Cornwall, acquired the car circa 2016 in a partly disassembled state and in need of a total rebuild. Soon after began a process of research and restoration that would take over 900 man hours of painstaking attention to detail. During that time, it was discovered stamped into the door body and engine lid the ‘017’ from the chassis number, which confirmed these were the original panels. Now presented in its original Polo Red (6602) with black leatherette interior, 500017 is presented to a standard far beyond that which was available in 1966 and with less than 200 miles covered since its fastidious detailed restoration, this piece of Porsche history is now ready to be enjoyed.
An accompanying booklet of the car is present in the history file showcasing a number of photographs that timeline the exhaustive restoration process.
