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Tag: 1978

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1978 Porsche 911SC Cabriolet

This 911 is a little bit of an oddity. Those familiar with the 911SC will recognize immediately that this 911 is not original. While Porsche long had been in the business of producing open-top cars, it took nearly 20 years for a true Cabriolet to make its debut for the 911. The 911 Targa had been around since nearly the 911’s inception, but not a Cabriolet. Perhaps Porsche was not confident in the survival of any open-roofed car given increasing safety standards; the short-lived Soft-window Targa was an engineering solution to that problem that quickly was abandoned. Still it wasn’t until 1983 that the first 911 Cabriolet was produced. That means that the car we see here, a 1978 Porsche 911SC Cabriolet, never really existed.

This 911 began as a 911SC Targa and at some point – we are not told when – its owner decided to convert it to a Cabriolet. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps it was done very early before the true SC Cabriolet was released because that’s really what the owner wanted. Or perhaps later for…reasons. Either way this 911 provides the very rare chance to own a first-year 911SC in full open-roof form. Is that something you should aspire to over a standard ’83 911SC Cabriolet? I’m not sure there’s a great reason to do so other than having a 911 that’s very unique. And I’ll admit it does look well executed.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 911SC Cabriolet on eBay

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1978 Porsche 911SC Coupe

I featured a Petrol Blue Metallic Targa not too long ago. It was a lovely car, though in need of a little care to bring its paint back to proper form. Here we have a very similar 911 – it wears that same Petrol Blue Metallic exterior and contrasts it with the same Cork interior. It’s also from the same model year, the first year of 911SC production. It is a Coupe rather than a Targa and I’m finding myself liking it quite a bit more. It’s in a little better condition, but I don’t think that’s what is really attracting me.

I am a big fan of the Targa. I’ve made that quite known. Moving beyond its open-top versatility, one of the things I like about the Targa is the contrast the roll hoop provides to the rest of the exterior. I like the look and especially the way it integrates so well with the 911’s lines. For whatever reason I think with Petrol Blue I don’t like it as much. The chrome accents don’t go as well with this color and I think that’s why I find myself more drawn to this Coupe than I did the Targa. Overall, I like this 911SC quite a bit!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 911SC Coupe on eBay

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1978 Porsche 930

An early 930 is always a nice thing to come across. One that comes in a unique color palette is even better! The example we see here requires some sorting out, but let’s get to what we know. This is a Medium Green Metallic 1978 Porsche 930, located in Florida, with a white leather interior and green carpets. It’s said to have only traveled 39,500 miles. As you might note immediately this is a color combination we don’t see very often. The only other one I can recall is Kermit: the 1979 911SC Coupe painted Scirocco Viper Green. There may be others, but probably not many. As a testament to that rarity this one is said to have both a paint-to-sample exterior and a leather-to-sample interior. Rare indeed.

1978 saw the most notable changes made to the 930 over its 13 year run. The original 3.0 turbocharged flat-six was increased to 3.3 liters and an air-to-air intercooler was added. The rear spoiler was modified as well, changing from the whale tail to the tea try, so as to make use of that intercooler. And then a short two years later the 930 was no longer offered in the US market. So there aren’t a lot of them and while the ’78 isn’t typically as valuable and sought after as the earlier 3.0 liter they still do command attention.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 930 on eBay

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Petrol Blue 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa

I don’t normally prefer to post two cars from the same seller on consecutive days, but this seller has two very different 911s for sale and I like both of them quite a bit and for entirely different reasons. So, here we are. Yesterday’s 964 Turbo showed us a fairly pristine example of the 3.3 liter Turbo. It’s a model I probably don’t pay enough attention to focusing instead on the 930 that preceded it or the later 3.6 liter 964s. It came with a very high price tag.

Here we have something entirely of a different nature. This is a Petrol Blue 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa with Cork interior and 65,500 miles on it. It’s not pristine – though the mileage is fairly low – but the color combination is phenomenal and the added detail provided by the Targa roll hoop enhances the overall look. Compared with the 964, the price should be much more reasonable.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Petrol Blue 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa on eBay

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King Juan Carlos I of Spain’s 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9

Some of my favorite cars to look at are special builds from manufactures to serve a specific purpose or person. One of those purposes is diplomat cars and all the crazy modifications they receive compared to the normal civilian version. Today, we have an already special 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 that was modified for Juan Carlos I during his rule as King of Spain. This M100-powered S-Class is fully armored and a rear sunroof was added so he and his wife, Queen Sofía, could stand on the rear seats to wave at people during parades and events. This W116 was also equipped with the customary flag holders on the front fenders and a siren to alert all the mere normal citizens to get out-of-the-way. But now, Juan Carlos I is 80 years-old and while he still gets driven around in a S-Class, he also prefers some faster toys too.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 on Mobile.de

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