By now, we are all familiar with discussion of the somewhat atypical handling traits of the 911. As a rear-engined rear-wheel drive sports car it remains a peculiar design, though one that has been enormously successful. Early in its life those traits were magnified by the 911’s shorter wheelbase. In 1969 the entire 911 range (along with the 912) received a 57mm increase in its wheelbase. The overall length of the cars was carried over from previous years, but the rear wheels were moved further towards the rear of the car, providing better handling balance and mitigating some of the 911’s skittish, tail-happy nature. This would be of particular importance to Porsche’s highest performing model, the 911S. With its lighter weight and increased power the S gave Porsche customers the ultimate expression of these rear-engined cars, but further increased the need for attentiveness while piloting them. Of course, their short-lived nature makes the short-wheelbase models somewhat of an anomaly among the range and therefore quite valuable. The example here is a restored Light Ivory 1967 Porsche 911S Coupe, located in Houston.
