Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
I have a couple reasons for wanting to feature this 911: 1) the exterior color is Gemini Blue Metallic, one of the better early blues that Porsche offered and definitely one of my favorites. 2) It’s a Sportomatic, the quirky clutch-less manual-automatic transmission Porsche experimented with in the early years of the 911. A Sportomatic is pretty rare to come across, though this is one of the times where rarity doesn’t always mean increased desirability. Still, for those with an interest in Porsche’s engineering history, either as part of a collection or simply for one’s own curiosity, this one comes from about as late in long-hood design as we can find and should make for a nice example. It is equipped with the MFI 2.4 liter flat-six that was standard in the 911E and 911S – though with less power – but only available in the first half of ’73 for the 911T. That it comes in such a wonderful color makes it just that much more appealing. So here we have a Gemini Blue Metallic 1973 Porsche 911T Coupe, located in Oregon, with 109,802 miles on it and the 4-speed Sportomatic transmission.
Classic color combinations manage to find a place in our consciousness where they stay firmly rooted so as to capture our attention at every appearance. Though the combination we see here probably would best be known through the British automobile industry, under the guise of British Racing Green, it still manages to possess the same allure when attached to a German marque. The combination of a non-metallic Green over a Tan interior is one I particularly enjoy and one which we have seen many times over the years. For Porsche, the color of choice in its early days was Irish Green and it looks particularly good here on a long-hood 911. However, classic or not, green Porsches tend to see less demand. That may not necessarily apply as readily to Irish Green since it’s fairly well regarded, but in general fans of a green Porsche can many times get them at a reduced price. The love simply isn’t always there. Whether that will be the case here, we’ll have to see with this Irish Green 1972 Porsche 911T Coupe, located in Connecticut, with 106K miles on it.
I’ve featured a good number of early 911s lately, and quite a few Targas in general, but this one might be my favorite. Those who are frequent readers will know why: it’s all about the color. Were this a 911S, rather than the entry-level T, I imagine I wouldn’t be the only one completely captivated by it. We aren’t told the specific color, but my guess would be Pastellblau. It’s one of the early choices in the line that would later include Mexico Blue and Riviera Blue. With this particular example, that wonderful exterior is complemented by a Tan interior. Some may prefer a black interior, but for me the Tan is the perfect contrast. Altogether this is a fantastic early Targa and sure to attract a good deal of attention.
Pretty much every car we feature at GCFSB has some sort of striking feature that has compelled us to pay more attention to that car over and above the many others for sale. Those sort of interesting features are pretty wide-ranging: rare colors, rare options, rare models, low mileage, or superb condition. There is one other category that occasionally attracts our notice: price. Of course, with price there is always a caveat: there is usually a reason for a low price. However, now and then we come across a car that simply seems to be priced quite well and for that reason alone we take notice since some of those cars make for the most possibilities for our readers. For many, these prices make these cars obtainable and, perhaps just as important, it makes them driveable. This is especially the case with air-cooled 911s as many of the early models have reached pricing that makes it very difficult to really enjoy the car. You’re always worried about depreciation or the idiot who isn’t paying attention ruining your dream car. All of this serves as a long introduction to the car we see here: a Silver over Black 1971 Porsche 911T, located in Charlotte, NC, with 81,000 miles on it. And it has an asking price below $40K. For a long-hood 911 that’s one of the lowest prices we’ve come across for a car that actually appears in pretty standard condition.
For most of us, the reason we read these pages – or write for them – comes from a certain passion for driving. Some may be in search of interesting cars for a collection, but even collectors began their hobby from that basic foundation of a love of cars. The desire for vintage cars then stems from a nostalgic longing for an idol from our youth, or a driving experience that is more analog, connected, and human. Or just a mixture of all of these things. No matter what the cause we always return to driving itself and vintage cars can raise an impediment: price. There is a price for nostalgia. Limited remaining supply mean that few vintage cars are cheap and all will need, or will have had, extensive work either to keep them in good condition or return them to good condition. For those of us who are fans of the 911, the iconic stature of the car itself raises those costs in every regard and for most the cost becomes prohibitive. But if you must have all the beauty of that original design married to the lightness and simplicity found in most any vintage automobile, then you’ve got to find a way around these problems of cost. The 911 we see here I think offers some nice possibilities, though given that it appears to be in turn-key condition the bidding has come up to a point where we’d hardly consider it inexpensive. Still, it has promise. Here we have a Light Yellow over Black 1971 Porsche 911T Sunroof Coupe, located in Philadelphia, with 80,959 miles on it.
