Beginning in the late 1950’s, Porsche were beginning to recognize the limitations of the 356 platform and began development of a replacement model. The rear-engined “2+2” format remained, and the car retained the sort of “bug-eyed” look that had defined the 356 (which itself was the direct result of the form of the Beetle). Unveiled to the public in 1963, the car was originally called the 901. Shortly thereafter, Peugeot informed Porsche that they held the exclusive marketing rights to cars with zeros as the central digits in France, so Porsche changed the name to the 911, though early 911 part numbers still retain the internal “901” nomenclature. Incidentally, Porsche continued to name its race cars following the previous chronological convention since they were not to be sold for street use, so models such as the 904, 906, 907, and 908 met with no resistance from Peugeot.

The car itself was a compact rear-engined coupe, that was powered, like the 356, by a horizontally opposed air-cooled engine. Unlike the 356’s four cylinder engine (that was still vaguely related to that of the Beetle), the 911 had and all-new six cylinder engine. The horizontally opposed setup was employed to keep the center of gravity low and also lends the engine of the 911 its unusual sound. The first model made about 130hp and displaced just under 2.0 litres.

An extremely early 911, a 901 in fact, from 1964. The wheels were direct carryovers from late 356's

The 911 underwent continuous development, with the eventual introduction of other models, including the 911S, 911L, 911T, and 911E. All were visually similar and differed primarily in the engine, equipment, trim, and wheel options. The standard engine was increased to 2.2 litres in 1970, and to 2.4 litres for 1972. Power for the 911S peaked in the 1972 and 1973 911S models at 190hp.

A 1970 911, fitted with the "Fuchs" alloy wheels that would be used in some form from 1967 until 1989, with widths varying from 4.5 to 11 inches, and diameter varying from 14 to 16 inches. This car is also fitted with US market headlights and front turn signal lenses to meet contemporary American safety laws.

Also of note was the introduction of the ‘Targa’ (Italian for “shield”) in 1967. The Targa was a “safety convertible” that featured an integral rollover hoop that, rather than appearing as an afterthought, was styled into the car from the outset. There was a zip-out plastic rear window and a heated glass rear window was available as an option.


The original Targa advertisement from 1967. The removable plastic rear window proved to be less popular than the optional glass window and was eventually phased out. The last of the "soft window" targas was made in 1969, while the glass windowed ones were finished in 1994. Since 1995, the roof of the Targa has been comprehensively redesigned and features two glass panels of the same size, one of which is the rear window, and the other of which is the roof, which fully retracts.

There were racing versions of the 911 developed contemporaneously, including the 911R, 911S/T, and the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. The 911R was oriented towards reducing weight as much as possible and featured plastic windows, fiberglass body panels, racing seats, the removal of all extraneous components (like the clock, rear sets, carpeting etc.), and a tuned engine. All competition versions are highly sought after today, with values for 911R’s hovering around the $500,000 mark. The Carrera RS is one of the most legendary Porsches ever built and is highly sought-after by collectors. Introduced in 1972, it was originally to be a street-legal limited edition of 500 cars to homologate the RS for competition use (the Fédération International de l’Automobile or FIA required that race cars based on street versions be homologated with at least 500 examples). The public demand was so great that Porsche expanded the production run to 1000, and then again to 1500 examples. Eventually, 1580 Carrera RS’s were constructed. Thanks to the “duck tail”, contrasting striping, and wheels that were usually painted to match the stripes, the Carrera RS is instantly recognizable and iconic among Porsche enthusiasts. Naturally, with reduced weight and increased power, the RS is a fantastic piece of driving equipment, being extremely nimble, responsive, and engaging.

A 1973 Carrera RS 2.7. Note the contrasting striping and wheels, front spoiler, and duck tail. White was by far the most common color, and was usually finished with blue striping and wheels, and less frequently red or black ones. All of the other standard colors were available as well, including some marvelously period hues such as Tangerine (with black striping), Signal Yellow (with black or green striping), Viper Green (also with Black).

A few "duck tails". These were added for aerodynamic purposes to reduce high speed lift and actually served to increase the top speed of the car by a few miles per hour. The infiltrator is a 996 Cabriolet from circa 2000.

Continue on to The 1970’s and 1980’s: The 911 Grows Up

Return to A Brief History of Porsche and the 911