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I feel somewhat remiss in never featuring one of the long-hood Targas during convertible week last week. While not really a true convertible they were the only open-top option for the 911 during that time period. For full effect you’d want the Soft-window Targa, but frankly the hard-window Targa is a much better looking car and still provides much of the open feel that makes any convertible so prized in the first place. So I’ll try to fill that gap with this Bahia Red 1972 Porsche 911T Targa, located in Florida, with a reported 53,294 miles on it. This Targa sat for a while and was given a basic refreshing of much of the mechanical components prior to being put up for sale, but the paint and interior are original to the car. Because this is a 1972 MY 911 that makes it an oil flapper, meaning it was fitted with an external oil filler located on the rear quarter panel. Porsche had hoped to improve weight distribution by moving the oil reservoir inside the wheelbase, but ultimately reverted to the original design one year later out of concern for people who mistook it for the gas tank and added fuel to their oil. Regardless, the 1972 cars are the only ones to possess this unique feature.
I have a secret automotive fetish. I’d day fetish is a really strong word, but I’m not sure how else to describe it, because admitting it makes me feel a bit dirty. I actually like the third generation early 1970s Chevrolet Nova. Now, I realize that admitting the problem is the first step towards rectifying the issue, but there’s this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it won’t go away. I’m not even sure why, but some of those late 60s/early 70s GM muscle cars just look…well, cool to me. The GTO Judge, the Chevelle SS, the Nova SS – they just look right in a weird and slightly disturbing way. So to redeem myself, instead of owning one of them, I’d probably sport for a much more rare scaled down model from their European cousin, Opel. Just as the Opel GT was a 3/4 scale Corvette, Opel had a mini muscle car too in the Manta, and U.S. customers had the option of the Manta Rallye that kicked thing up a notch:
The 911 S/T is one of those cars you could spend your life trying to find and never come across a real one. Produced in very limited numbers from 1970 to 1971, we might think of the S/T as a track-oriented 911S or as a precursor to the much heralded Carrera RS. Either way these were lightened and more powerful versions of the 911 intended for endurance and rally racing. I’ve come across various figures for total production numbers, but it seems like that number is fewer than 40. How many survive today? I’m not sure. As a track car we can assume it is very, very few. That means they are a popular car to try and recreate and we find them in a wide variety of performance and aesthetic combinations. The one constant: once complete they are fantastic cars to look at and I can only assume even better to drive. The recreation we see here began life as a Sepia Brown 1972 911E and then at some point it was converted into what we see here. The seller makes clear that this is a barn find, so specific details on the build are not available and he has not put a ton of work into getting the car into pristine shape. He tuned it and got it running, but all in all it really doesn’t look in bad shape.
Few knew it at the time, but 1972 would be the introduction for one of the longest lived Mercedes-Benz models of all time, the R107 SL. It was a departure from the W113 SL, more boulevard cruiser than “sports light†special. The first R107s to make it to the US would be the 350SL, but contrary to what the badge on the trunk lid may suggest, this SL did not have a 3.5 liter V8 under the hood. Customers stateside would get a detuned 4.5 liter V8 meant to cope with ever tightening emissions standards. Then in 1974, large crash bumpers would make their appearance, further differentiating the US market SL from their counterparts abroad. This 1972 350SL for sale in Florida has a golden hue fitting for the Sunshine State.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a car that mystifies me. From my perspective, it’s the best looking of the Volkswagen lineup from the 1950s until the launch of the Scirocco. Like the Scirocco, it’s really just a more sedate Beetle underneath with a special body; but the looks of that alone really set the car apart. But unlike the Scirocco, which in good shape commands more money than its counterparts as witnessed by the $20,000 example from last week, the Karmann Ghia remains fairly affordable in comparison to the top-tier air-cooled models. If aliens landed with a lineup of a Mercedes-Benz 190SL, a early Porsche 356 and a Karmann Ghia next to each other, you’d have a hard time explaining to them why the Volkswagen was only worth a fraction of what the other two currently are. Yet here it is, a clean and classic Volkswagen coupe with lower miles in great condition for under $17,000:
