1973 Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 2.7 was introduced in 1973. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, the 2.7 was a sports coupe that paved the way for influential models such as the Carrera RS and RSR. It was powered by a rear-mounted flat 6-cylinder engine with a 5-speed all synchromesh gearbox driving the rear wheels.

The 1973 model year saw a major revision of the Porsche 911 with U.S. legislation impact bumpers being introduced. There were also various suspension upgrades such as a one-piece anti-roll bar and lighter rear trailing arms. For the interior more supportive seats were fitted along with inertia reel seatbelts.

The Porsche 911 2.7 was available in a number of different guises: the 911, 911S and the Carrera. These were all available as a coupe or open-roof Targa. In 1975 a spoiler package was offered for the Carrera featuring the now infamous 'whale tail'.

In 1976 a new, stronger 3-litre engine was introduced for the Carrera. The narrower bodied cars continued to be offered with the 2.7 litre units.

Minor changes were introduced for its final year of production in 1977 including 16" Fuchs wheels and a redesigned front spoiler.

The Porsche 911 2.7 although being regarded as the entry level model was far from that in terms of its chassis dynamics and road holding. Having a reputation for wayward oversteer was in many cases unfounded as the limits required to reach this point would be seldom tested on the open road.

The Porsche 911 2.7 was the first car from Porsche to have a fully galvanised steel body and as such examples tend to fare better than previous models. Corrosion is still an important consideration when purchasing a 911 of this vintage - the floors, kidney bowls and areas around the rear screen and parcel shelf tend to attract the worst corrosion. Engines, although powerful for their size, have a reputation for fragility with cylinder head and valve gear problems common.

Interiors are hard wearing, save the less than adequate seats of the earlier cars. Strong support from Porsche's classic parts arm ensures repair and restoration is relatively straightforward, if not cheap.

The Porsche 911 2.7 was nearly the car that never was. Sales of the 911 were poor and research and development budgets were focused on the forthcoming 928 model as the car that was pitched to save the company's fortunes. With the addition of the Carrera RS and RSR models alongside competition successes this was reversed in part.

Today the 911 2.7 is a well-regarded member of the 911 family. The base 911 and S models have a strong following and the iconic RS and RSR homologated versions are amongst the most desirable collector grade vehicles in the world.

At the time of the launch of the 2.7, Porsche had invested considerably in the 911 formula. There were no equivalent cars in its stable and the forthcoming 928 was poised to consign the 911 to history. Ultimately the exact opposite happened and the evergreen 911 has evolved from strength to strength. Comparable cars of its day such as the Jaguar E-Type Series III FHC and the Ferrari 356 GTB/4, although faster, did not have the engineering integrity that has stood the test of time.