• Matching numbers engine
• Rare 2.4 version with oil filler cap

• Lots of money spent including gearbox rebuild

• Refurbed interior

• Stunning presentation

Owning a desirable sports car doesn’t mean one has to sacrifice reliability or quality. Porsche's 911 established the benchmark for rear-engined sports cars when it was initially debuted in 1964, and Porsche allowed the car to adapt to meet customer expectations. 

As the design matured in the 1970s, the 911 received a new 2.4-litre fuel-injected flat-six engine, which featured a better-balanced drive than earlier models thanks to the repositioned oil tank. 

Originally specified from the factory with the comfort package, which includes the ventilated front discs, with aluminium callipers, leather-covered steering wheel and ‘heavy’ bumpers, this 1972 car was imported from South Carolina by its current owner in 2015 and has been garage stored and has only seen 1200 miles on the UK roads. 

It has been subject to 20K’s worth of renovation, including an overhauled gearbox and has been kitted out with a complete replacement interior. 

This 1972 LHD example is a US Washington import of the mid-range 911 E and its last US owner was believed to be a retired Airline pilot from Brunswick, South Carolina. As a result, the car has been subject to a humid and subtropical climate. 

The current owner directly imported the car in 2015 from the former pilot, who had been a long-standing member of the Porsche Club of America. Over the 6 years of UK ownership, the owner has spent around 20K on a significant range of improvements but has resisted the temptation to upgrade it. 

The idea of modifying it into a race vehicle or perhaps building an RS Carrera replica had entered his mind, but the owner had elected to stick to the original specification due to the 1972 model year only oil filler and oil tank location. 

The car has been garaged since it arrived in the UK, however, due to the owner's circumstances and the car's lack of recent use, he has regretfully opted to sell it, as he believes the lack of use will be detrimental to the car. The car has covered not much more than 1200 miles since has been in the UK.

The car comes with a current V5 and an official Porsche document stating its authenticity, which outlines the original spec. Upon arriving in the UK, the car has seen a substantial amount of spending, with the core costs going toward a gearbox rebuild by Parr, a well established independent Porsche specialist in Crawley. 

The old interior has been replaced with OEM parts along with the overhaul of the oil and fuel tanks, with new gaskets and pipes. Over the course of the car's six years in the UK, several maintenance and running enhancements have been made to fine-tune its reliability. 

The interior has just been overhauled at a cost of £5,000, which was completed by the owner. According to the original spec sheet, the car was equipped with beige leatherette, but it is likely that it had worn out in the hot, dry climate of the United States and was replaced with a suitable black leatherette substitute. 

The overall presentation of the interior finish is positive and suits the car well. As a result, the seats are in very good order, with both the front seats not showing any suggestions of wear and are free from rips or damage. Both retain their hold. The rear items are also in good shape, with no significant damage. 

The carpets are said to be original and are in remarkably good shape, with no major signs of abuse or wear. The carpets in the luggage section are complete and all carpets in the car are damp free. All four mats are clean, with 911 motifs on the front items. 

The facia and the top of the dashboard padding are crack-free and therefore in very good condition with a limited suggestion of wear. All of the switches and controls are functional and are free from significant age-related use. The main dials are all legible, with a light hazing noted on the instrument faces. 

The steering wheel has a little wear but does not display unsightly signs of damage on the leather. The gear stick and gaiter are in good condition. The headlining is in good shape, with no damage, discolouration or rips noted. Door cards are all in good shape with no distortion, with minor scuffs noted on the lower section of the nearside door card. The door pockets are operational. 

Because the bodywork is in great shape throughout and the car has very few bodywork or paint faults, the car was most likely restored at some stage. The floor pan and sills look solid, with no suggestions of trouble brewing in the inner wings. The chassis legs are decent, with no damage noted on the front luggage area including the cross member or the engine bay. Both A and B posts look strong too. 

There are no notable flaws to mention on the outside, and the condition of the shell all points to the ‘dry state' US car having a mostly rust-free body.  The only observation of surface damage is the underside of the nearside section of the rear bumper, which has a treatable patch of light surface rust. 

The doors open and close well, with the passenger doors requiring a heavily throw to close, likely due to the good rubbers. The bonnet and engine lid remain open without aid. The panel alignment fit is positive, with both the passenger doors hanging well and all of the panels fitting flush.

The paint has been well applied throughout, with the red finish demonstrating an excellent lustre with no suggestions of flatness or lacquer damage. 

There are a handful of minor issues that have been noted, but these are limited to a few blemishes below the near-side headlamp. Some paint flaws can also be seen on the offside from the wheel arch and a small paint over-run is noted on the nearside outer door well. Otherwise, the car is free from significant road wear or chips, with the door edges, bonnet and front valance looking intact.

The car has the optional dark glass fitted from the factory and all are in good condition, with no suggestions of wear or laminate damage. The glass rubber is good, with minor signs of age but no perishing. The chrome has lasted well, with most of the trim in good shape with just minor suggestions of age on the door trims. The rear lights have a little flaking chrome but that is the only minus point when it comes to the car's brightwork. 

The lights and lenses are good with no damage. The bumpers are intact, with their trims being complete and correct, with a little wear on the rubber but nothing that distracts. The Yokohama tyres are close to 20 years old, with some of the usual signs of age but have good even tread and are well within the legal limits. The iconic 15” Fuchs are in good condition with no damage.

The engine has not needed any significant work done to it, as it said to perform well with no issues or reliability concerns. It fires up with no hesitancy and the flat-six lump sounds as purposeful as expected with no engine rattle. A little smoke was evident on startup but disappeared once the car was running. 

The car idles with no unwanted noises coming from the engine and said to pull well. The brakes and steering are also said to be in good order, the car has been run occasionally in recent months, to ensure that the braking components are still effective. To address a crunching 2nd gear, the gearbox was taken to Parr, a Porsche specialist, for a gearbox rebuild. The synchromeshes were also changed.  Additional work to overhaul, clean and refit both the fuel and oil tanks, with new gaskets and pipes, have also been carried out. 

The physical condition of the engine is positive with the underside looking particularly clean, strongly suggesting that maintenance and upkeep have been carried out. Electrically the car is said to be healthy.

The car appears to have not had a hard life and has retained a pleasing originality to its presentation. As a pivotal design not only for Porsche but also in the development of the sports car, the 911's iconic status as a classic car has never been questioned. 

This is partly thanks to its hewn-from-granite build quality, fun handling, and excellent parts availability. The 911's timeless and elegant styling combined with that unmistakable flat-six air-cooled chatter make these pert and pretty cars one of those cars that every petrol must experience once in their life.