1974 Porsche 911S 2.7 Targa – Auction Car of the Week

Of course everyone loves a pristine, perfectly restored classic. The feel of fresh leather on newly trimmed seats, the faultless, blemish free paintwork that’s bright enough to see your reflection in even on the most drab and dreary of days. The purr of a perfectly performing engine, free from ominous rattles and worrying vibrations. Well there’s also a lot to be said for pure, unrestored originality. Those classics that have seen things man, seen things and experienced life. Classics that wear it all proudly on their fenders, dings and all. We adore them, we respect them and for some it’s the only way to fly. How many times have you seen a beautifully patinated classic or retro vehicle that the owner has decided to preserve for everyone to see? Just a few coats of clear lacquer and away you go, and done right it can be incredibly striking and beautiful, telling the car’s story through the medium of faded paint, scrapes and dents. Stories like that of this wonderfully original Porsche 911S 2.7 Targa, for instance.

The first thing you notice from the beautifully shot photos is the paintwork. It almost looks like an effect that has been applied with intent but this car’s uniqueness isn’t the work of a master auto painter. Nope, that rather striking look – akin to a mottled spring sky – is all down to the Arizona sunshine. Using the Porsche as its canvas old Ra himself has imbued the car’s Gemini Blue body with a rather pretty effect. It’s certainly a one of a kind style but aside from any aesthetic amendments it also means that the car has remained dry and more importantly,  incredibly well preserved.

Having spent most of its life in Arizona, which is the second driest state in America, the Porsche 911S now currently resides in Southampton having been imported to the UK and registered here last year. Thanks to that lack of any adverse weather the car has survived astonishingly well and its excellent overall condition truly belies its age. It’ll be 50 next year!

As well as being beneficial from a corrosion perspective (the Porsche carries no significant rot), the sun can also unfortunately wreak havoc on a car’s interior but incredibly the cabin has escaped the perils of the Arizona sunshine and remains in fantastic, original condition throughout. This really is a beautifully preserved example of an early G-Series Porsche 911S Targa. No welding, no replacement panels, just a matching numbers, unmolested, unmodified and wholly original car. OK, it has an after market Alpine stereo but that really is it as far as “mods” go and it’s a completely reversible one at that. Examples like this don’t come along very often.

Still running the car continues to drive impeccably, no doubt aided by an engine rebuild that was carried out prior to its importation and we would bet that the indicated mileage of just 48,714 is genuine. Just look at the interior photos and you’ll understand why we’re willing to make that statement. Likewise, one look at the engine bay tells a similar story and that glorious 2.7-litre straight-six retains all of the performance and charm it was built to display, with a five-speed manual ‘box further adding to the appeal.

Service records may be a tad light but the car does carry a valid MOT until May so you can rest assured that the mechanicals are on point here. Being the Targa variant the all important removable roof panel is in great shape too, as are the factory Fuchs wheels so all that’s left to do here ladies and gentlemen is get your bid in and hopefully drive it home. Yes, you could respray it but why on earth would you want to go and do something like that? This Porsche 911S has earned its patina and it wears it with honour. Plus it looks cool as….