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In many ways this Porsche 911 possesses a lot of what makes me love these cars so much, but which has seemed to be unobtainable as prices for these early cars have elevated. It’s a mix of original spec and modifications, but it doesn’t stray far remaining true to that original design but still possessing some nice upgrades. It’s neither pristine nor a dog. This is all to say that there is just something about the general ethos of this 911 that draws me in. Here we have a Beige Grey 1973 Porsche 911E Targa, located in New York, with, the seller assumes, around 149,000 miles on it. While Beige Grey sounds about as boring as is possible it does actually look very good, and even if it’s not Tangerine or Viper Green – colors that would really attract our notice – it is still a nice alternative and gives this 911 a gritty feel that works well with its overall aesthetic. I even like the contrast of the Minilite wheels at the rear!
As my family moves on to its ninth Mercedes-Benz, I was reminded the other day of my grandfather’s 1972 280SE. This was a rather unusual car for the day in Philadelphia, but reflected a bit of his taste as a diplomat for the Portuguese government. These were stately cars that compromised little. I’ve always preferred the look of the W108/W109 as opposed to the befinned W111 that preceded it and this late model 280SE 4.5 is no different. The W108 would only be sold in the US market for 1973, as the rest of the world had already moved on to the W116 S-class. For sale in New York, this isn’t the most perfect W108, but it certainly holds a lot of promise.
While I’ve always enjoyed the seat inserts we find in some vintage Porsches, over the years I’ve found myself becoming increasingly enamored with them. That Porsche has brought some of them back in recent years (even if just for special edition models) has been particularly delightful. While the tartan inserts that we many times see are surely somewhat more divisive, houndstooth and pepita inserts, as we see in this modified 1973 Porsche 911S Targa, find much greater favor. And for good reason as they provide such a wonderful contrast and appearance to the interior, but while remaining quite subtle. The interior of this 911S has been restored, though it sounds like it was the original combination. The same is true of the Oxford Blue exterior. It is at that point that originality begins to stop. The engine in this 911S is now a built 2.7 liter with mechanical fuel injection, a la the Carrera RS. That’s given this 911 a healthy boost in power, up to a reported 206 hp at the wheels. While that non-original engine will keep the price down somewhat, it should make for a really nice performer.
As I looked across the lawn at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum’s German Car Day between a Porsche Cayman GT4 and the Porsche 914s that lined the row behind it, I couldn’t help but feel that the diminutive design doesn’t get enough credit from enthusiasts. Indeed the aura of the 911 is so thoroughly encompassing it overshadows nearly every other Porsche model conceived and constructed, but especially this seems to be true of the 1970s. During that time Porsche launched groundbreaking models like the 924 and 928; generally, both very unappreciated compared to the air-cooled siblings. But the 914 seems nearly forgotten despite its similar engine behind the driver and atmospheric cooling setup. Why? Well, it’s not the prettiest Porsche design, it’s true – but presented properly it is still quite neat. The neatest of the bunch are probably the original, fat-flared 914-6 GT models. Ready to blow your mind? Fresh off their somewhat surprising and unlikely victory at Le Mans yesterday, I thought it would be nice to take a look at a 914-6 GT replica, because 46 years ago Porsche themselves entered such a car at the 24 hour endurance race. Now, 1970 is probably a lot more memorable for Porsche because it was the famous red Salzburg 917K Attwood/Hermann that took overall victory. You might remember the 1970 race for being the basis of the Steve McQueen movie that was appropriately named, too. But what was perhaps the most amazing thing about that race was who finished 5th overall. Following the 917K and the 917LH along with two Ferrari 512Ss was that Porsche 914-6 GT, some three laps ahead of a 911S. How’s that for something to put on your resume?
The 1973 BMW 2002tii Touring we featured at the end of 2014 is back on the market, with a Buy It Now price cresting $35,000. Want a 2002 with a bit more practicality and uniqueness? Read on…
The below post originally appeared on our site December 9, 2014:
