Ferry did not give up. He planned a sunroof version, one with a removable roof, a cabriolet, and a deluxe model. This was to debut at Frankfurt, fitted with a leather interior. He also envisioned a Sport or S model with 150 horsepower to top out the line. As development advanced on the coupes, Ferry Porsche approached Reutter Carrosserie’s Walter Beierbach, asking for a cabriolet body based on the Typ 745 T7 styling proposal that F. A. Porsche’s styling staff had done. This successful prototype handled well but still lacked space for a collapsible top.
A year later, drawings and a model went to Karmann in Osnabruck. Could they evaluate what it would take to manufacture an open 911? F. A.’s first variation incorporated suggestions from staff designer Gerhard Schröder on convertible folding systems and collapsible bows. The car appeared with a folding padded top that was stored below a boot. It left a startlingly low silhouette, but it reduced the size of the engine compartment. The second version provided owners a removable cloth top to stretch across bows as customers had done with 356 Speedsters. This kit came out of a smaller boot storage area, but still it intruded into the engine compartment. The third option was a detachable two-piece roof comprising one panel over the driver and passenger and a second for the rear window. F. A. Porsche envisioned these attached to a rigid rollover bar or, alternatively, one that collapsed, so that the car presented a clean profile.
F. A. Porsche preferred the true cabriolet. As he explained in an interview in 1991, “Open cars at Porsche always have been roadsters or speedsters. These have followed a distinct shape for the roof that is not the same as our coupes. I wanted a clear break in the roofline to reemphasize that roadster character.” His revised form did not duplicate the elegant sweep of the coupe. It would have required expensive new body panels for the rear of the car. For a car already costing his father millions, these new expenses killed the cabriolet.
1965 911 Coupe
Porsche’s first production 911s reached U.S. buyers in February 1965. The company charged American customers $6,500 for the car.
The production 911 weighed 1,080 kilograms, 2,376 pounds, and at the factory it sold for 21,900DM, $5,503. The company manufactured something like 3,389 of these cars.
1966 Bertone 911 Roadster
Its elegant lines may have been a bit too Italian for Porsche. The company also worried about assembly quality since the car was called a Porsche. Von Neumann commissioned only one prototype.
Development and production charges tripped up the concept of a collapsible roof bow/rollover bar as well. It required chassis and body modifications that F. A. Porsche had not imagined. He was a designer, not a production body engineer. Erwin Komenda, who was the company’s body engineer, never warned him about these needs when they collaborated on engineering drawings for 911 bodies. In the end, there was no room to store the roof structure without making expensive changes in design, engineering, and tooling. Gerhard Schröder understood where problems were, based on experience with 356 series convertibles and roadsters. As he explained to former Porsche press staffer Tobias Aichele, “With the engine in place, the folded top stood above the body like a VW cabriolet and that would not have been acceptable for a sports car of Porsche’s stature.” The 911 shape left only one choice at this point: A center bow welded rigidly in place would support F. A. Porsche’s third concept, a top with two removable panels. This bow earned engineering support because it increased stiffness to the open car body.
Helmuth Bott, in an interview decades later, recalled another factor influencing the open car. “We were worried that the American Congress might legislate against convertibles. That had been a big portion of our market for open cars.” Consumer safety activist Ralph Nader took General Motors and Chevrolet Division to task for pinching pennies, thereby compromising the handling of Chevy’s rear-engine air-cooled Corvair. GM engineers argued for—but accountants denied them—anti-sway bars to control the rear independent swing axles, similar to what Porsche and Mercedes-Benz had used for years without incident. Questions about Corvair safety awoke lawmakers, instigated hearings, and threatened to legislate the kinds of cars Americans could drive.
California Porsche distributor Johnny von Neumann had great success with Max Hoffman enticing Porsche to produce an open car for American enthusiasts. The next time von Neumann got more ambitious and developed this Italian roadster design from Bertone by himself.
Porsche completed a styling prototype in mid-June 1964. In late January 1965, Bott drove an engineering model with additional reinforcement at the base of the A-pillar. “It was,” he recalled, “as stiff as I expected, about as the current three-five-six. . . . In time it became much better.”
Porsche’s patent expert, Emil Soukup, knew of an innovation that England’s Triumph had introduced on its TR4 sports car in 1962. Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti had created a hardtop from which owners could remove a solid center section. Porsche’s concept was different enough that Soukup registered their design. During a meeting with his staff, as they discussed how automakers appropriated racetrack names for car models, sales director Harald Wagner came up with the name “Targa.” Porsche had used “Carrera” to honor its accomplishments in the Mexican road race. “Targa” was a recognizable word and easily pronounced in all languages. Its translation, “shield,” fit with F. A. Porsche’s plan to emphasize the central bar’s function by finishing it in brushed stainless steel. The company began manufacturing the Targa as a 1967 model, allocating 15 percent of production, 7 out of 55 cars a day, to the new body style.
1966 911 Coupe
After experiencing trouble with soft throttle bodies on the Solex carburetors, in February 1966, Porsche switched to Weber 40 IDA models. Engine designation changed to 901/05.
The increasing popularity of the 911 and 912 ensured their success and allayed Ferry Porsche’s lingering fears. Production set a new record at 12,820 cars. Of these, 9,090 were the affordable 912s. The company shipped nearly half of its production to the United States. Porsche had completed its own emissions test facility, the first one in Europe that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved for vehicle certification over its official driving cycles.
It is a part of 911 history that innovators, entrepreneurs, and outsiders believed they could build a better car. With the new model, one man wasted little time. Johnny von Neumann owned a business in Los Angeles, selling Porsches he got through U.S. distributor (and fellow Austrian) Max Hoffman. As early as 1953, von Neumann gave Hoffman ideas for and opinions on Porsche models. Back then, von Neumann believed his customers wanted “a boulevard racecar” to cruise Sunset Strip, with an arm on the doorsill while they gawked at girls. In September 1954, Porsche introduced the Speedster, and initial production came to Hoffman. Johnny shuttled them across the country to his customers. They sold to racers and movie stars, becoming an auto-motive icon and giving von Neumann credibility, even as Hoffman took credit for the idea. The factory denied Speedster access to Europeans for the first nine months.
By October 1965, von Neumann had seen the 911 and knew about the Targa. It wasn’t enough for him, but this time, unwisely, he bypassed Hoffman and went directly to Turin, Italy. He contracted with designer Nuccio Bertone to create a new roadster on the 911 platform, with a view toward series production of 100 cars or more. Then von Neumann went to Porsche to arrange for a quantity of platforms with engines and full wiring.
The idea met resistance. Ferry Porsche and Harald Wagner had calculated that the car would have to sell for $7,000 or more. While that seemed costly, Ferry had other concerns. “It has our name on it,” he told von Neumann, “so we are concerned to be sure it is going to be right.” Von Neumann recalled that, at that moment, he felt the project could not succeed, no matter how it might look.
Bertone showed the finished prototype on its stand at Geneva in March 1966. It had finished the car just hours before the show doors opened. On its stand, Porsche displayed the Targa with its body-strengthening roll bar.
&
nbsp; “The thing that killed it,” von Neumann explained 35 years later, “was something they already knew. When you make a convertible out of a coupe, there’s some chassis movement, flexing.” During the show and in the months after, Bertone and von Neumann fielded inquiries. But no orders materialized. Where Count Albrecht Goertz’s 695 prototype was “too American,” the Bertone roadster may have been too Italian. Or the audience at Geneva saw the Targa as Porsche’s open 911.
Porsche quoted acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour at 9.1 seconds from the 2-liter flat six. Top speed was 210 kilometers (130 miles) per hour.
The Typ 901/01 engine had 80mm (3.15 inch) bore and 66mm (2.6 inch) stroke. Nine liters of oil cooled and lubricated it.
With few visible changes to the car, Porsche increased the price for 1966 models by 1,000DM ($250) to 22,900DM ($5,725). The company manufactured just 1,709, though it introduced the popular 912 the same year.
YEAR
1964-1967
DESIGNATION
911
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Coupe; Targa introduced in 1967
WHEELBASE
2211mm/87.0 inches
LENGTH
4163mm/163.9 inches
WIDTH
1610mm/63.4 inches
HEIGHT
1320mm/52.0 inches
WEIGHT
1080kg/2376 pounds
BASE PRICE
$5,489
TRACK FRONT
1337mm/52.6 inches
TRACK REAR
1317mm/51.9 inches
WHEELS FRONT
4.5Jx15
WHEELS REAR
4.5Jx15
TIRES FRONT
165-15 radial
TIRES REAR
165-15 radial
CONSTRUCTION
Unitized welded steel
SUSPENSION FRONT
Independent, wishbones, MacPherson struts, longitudinal torsion bars, hydraulic double-action shock absorbers
SUSPENSION REAR
Independent, semi-trailing arms, transverse torsion bars, hydraulic double-action shock absorbers
BRAKES
Discs, 2-piston cast iron fixed calipers
ENGINE TYPE
Horizontally opposed DOHC six cylinder Typ 901/01
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT
1991cc/121.5CID
BORE AND STROKE
80x66mm/3.15x2.60 inches
HORSEPOWER
130@6100rpm
TORQUE
128lb-ft@4200rpm
COMPRESSION
9.0:1
FUEL DELIVERY
2 Solex 40 P-I overflow carburetors
FINAL DRIVE AXLE RATIO
4.428:1
TOP SPEED
130mph
1967 911S Coupe
Bruce Jennings was one of America’s most proficient 356 and 911 racers. Hungry for a special car, he special ordered this S, painted in Cadillac Bronze Metallic. To fit oversized 5.50 Goodyear Bluestreak tires, he “rolled” out the fender lips.
1967-1968 911S
Through all this, Helmuth Bott divided his time between making a stronger, safer open 911 and developing one that met the expectations of Porsche’s performance enthusiasts. The new sport model S was more luxurious, but most of its upgrades were inside the engine. Engineer Paul Hensler enlarged valve diameters and extended valve timing to allow more fuel into each cylinder and extract exhaust more effectively. His work boosted engine output to 160 brake horsepower (DIN), 180 SAE gross. Its fan operated inside a distinctive red shroud.
Weber carburetors helped accomplish the horsepower increase. Porsche determined that throttle bodies of the Solexes were too soft to hold tune, so engineers specified the Italian carburetors for all 911 models. For the new S, they selected 40IDS3C models with 32mm venturis. Base models used 30mm-venturi versions of the carburetors.
Porsche introduced Fuchs forged aluminum wheels, which circulated more air to cool the brake rotors. The aluminum saved nearly 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms) per wheel over the previous steel ones. Bott’s engineers installed larger front anti-sway bars and added rear ones, as well as adjustable Koni shock absorbers. F. A. Porsche’s designers gave the interiors full leather or vinyl seats, with corduroy or houndstooth cloth inserts. Porsche discontinued wood trim instrument panels and wrapped the steering wheel in leather.
At Max Hoffman’s dealership in New York City, the base 911 sold for $5,990 with a four-speed transmission. The four-cylinder 912 went for $4,790. The S was $6,990. The Targa added $400 to the price of any model, Fuchs wheels were another $375, and an optional five-speed transmission cost $80. Factory prices ranged from DM 16,980 for the 912 to DM 20,980 for the base 911 and DM 24,480 for the 911S.
The S was Porsche’s hottest 911 model, racing from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds, according to tests by Car and Driver magazine, incredibly quick for 1967 and comparing favorably with America’s muscle cars and Corvettes. The S topped out at 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour, 10 faster than the base model. But European and U.S. magazines found the autobahn-oriented S models less satisfying to drive in urban areas, where high-torque and -horsepower curves didn’t fit comfortably with stop-and-go driving.
Porsche responded to requests for an open 911 with a Targa that incorporated removable panels for the rear window and over the driver’s head. The 911S introduced Fuchs wheels to Porsche owners. Targa sold for 25,880DM, $7,390 in the United States.
Production of the 911 reached only 1,709 cars for 1966, while assembly totals surged for model year 1967 with the introduction of the Targa and S models. Output was 11,011 cars; 6,472 of them were 912s, 1,823 were S Coupes, and 1,201 were Targas in both base and S versions. Once again, nearly half—about 5,400 cars—went to U.S. dealers and customers.
A Rally Kit, option 9552, replaced standard seats with a pair of Recaro seats and installed a roll bar, a 100-liter fuel tank with through-hood fill, adjustable Koni shock absorbers, and a litany of engine modifications and weight-loss provisions. These cars came with no rear seat, no carpets, and a smaller steering wheel, as well as an encyclopedia of other options and standard-equipment deletions.
Sport Kit I gave the S engine larger main jets and carburetor chokes, lower restriction air cleaners, and hotter spark plugs, all of which boosted output to 170 DIN horsepower from 160. Sport Kit II replaced the exhaust system and many glass and steel panels with lighter materials. Porsche encouraged its American dealers to promote these options, and racers up and down both coasts and across the middle of the country became steady buyers of cars, options, and upgrades, and took home the trophies to prove it.
The model line expanded again for 1968 as Porsche supplemented the 912, 911, and 911S with a new 911T series. The company conceived of this model as a six-cylinder version it could sell in Germany for less than DM 20,000 (about US$5,000 at the time). Engineers fitted the car with a four-speed transmission and solid disc brakes, and the company deleted many of the luxury and trim features it provided on the base 911. The car weighed about 77 pounds (35 kilograms) less than the base model. This provided the Competition Department a new platform on which to develop racing and rally models. Its standard engine (with a black fan shroud) developed 110 brake horsepower DIN (125 SAE), and German magazines got 0-to-60-mile-per-hour times of 8.1 seconds, with top speeds of 129 miles per hour (206 kilometers per hour).
Over 35 years of racing, Jennings won 216 events and finished second another 104 times. He not only specified the exterior color but also had the leather-covered Recaro sport seats upholstered to match a sample he sent.
Jennings specified simple rain shields over the carburetors, replaced later with low-restriction air cleaners over his 46mm Weber 3/3 C1 carburetors. Stock Typ 901/02 engines developed 160 horsepower at 6,600 rpm, providing acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.6 seconds.
1967 911S Targa
The company sold the S Targa for 25,880DM (roughly $6
,486,) and $7,390 in the United States. The Weber-carbureted Typ 901/02 engine developed 160 horsepower at 6,600 rpm.
YEAR
1967-1968
DESIGNATION
911S
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Coupe, Targa
WHEELBASE
2211mm/87.0 inches
LENGTH
4163mm/163.9 inches
WIDTH
1610mm/63.4 inches
HEIGHT
1320mm/52.0 inches
WEIGHT
1030kg/2266 pounds coupe - 1080kg/2376 pounds Targa
The Complete Book of Porsche 911 Page 3