Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
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.
One carmaker that I’ve always admired but has been somewhat of an unknown to those in the US is Citroën. Founded in 1919 by Andre Citroën, this was a company that seemingly could predict future automotive trends. Whether it was unitary body construction, front-wheel drive, semi-automatic gearboxes, independent suspension, swiveling headlamps or hydropneumatic suspension, Citroën could seemingly pick and choose from a list forward looking ideas and bring them to market years before the competition. There was one manufacturer in Germany that mirrored Citroën to an extent: NSU. In the mid 1960s, they brought to market a car you could mistake for being a 2016 model. The Ro80. This was a car light years ahead of its time, but had one fatal flaw: the engine. The twin rotor Wankel engine proved highly unreliable led the company down the path of financial ruin, leading Volkswagen to acquire the company in 1969 and merge it with Auto Union. These advanced machines are rarely seen on these shores, but this one for sale in The Netherlands is making a strong case for importation.
Well here’s something we don’t see every day: a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Touring up for auction on eBay. Given where the starting bid has been set, I suspect this auction is intended to serve more as an advertisement of this 911’s availability rather than as a true attempt at a sale (though I’m sure if someone wants to meet the likely very high reserve then the seller will have no qualms selling the car). The Carrera RS is probably the most iconic 911 Porsche has produced and given the stature of the 911 itself that makes the Carrera RS one of the all-time greats in the automotive world. They were the first in what has become a long line of RS models produced to meet racing homologation requirements, all of which have been to the benefit of Porsche, and 911, fans across the world. It would be nearly two decades before Porsche released the Carrera RS again, this time as a 964, which provided the original RS a broad spectrum within which it could operate and attract attention. Naturally, they are highly sought after and very expensive. They almost never come up for sale outside of prestigious auctions so this provides us a rare treat.
A few weeks ago I looked at a quite rare 2002tii Touring that was available for import from Europe. Uniquely styled and a very late production tii Touring, the seller was looking for around $35,000 plus importation fees – which, truth told, can get pricey. So, what about a resto-mod 1600 Touring that has been thoroughly upgraded with a 2 liter motor, 5-speed transmission, air conditioning and a helping of Alpina details for a few thousand dollars less?
