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Porsche - 911: Taking The 70's By Force

Taking The 70's By Force.

This is the third part in our series of brief articles highlighting the Porsche marque, and the second covering the history of the Model 911.

The Porsche 911 made headlines right out of the gate at its introduction in 1964. Although the model had it's share of imperfections, Porsche steadily improved upon the design year after year as they strove to reach the goal of designing the perfect luxury performance car.  By the end of the 60's the Model 911 had acquired a sizeable following of enthusiasts world wide who were eagerly awaiting the newly revised, bigger, better, lighter and faster models to come.

In September of 1969 Porsche delivered the new 2.2L C-Series Model 911 for the 1970 model year. All three versions of the series, the 911T, 911E and 911S were available in either Coupe or Targa. The entry level model, the 911T was cranking out 125bhp, the 911E was more luxuriously equipped both inside and out with 155bhp and the flagship model, the 911S topped the boards with an impressive 180bhp.

The front-strut mounting points in the C-Series models were moved slightly forward in order to lighten steering and reduce kickback for better handling. The steel engine covers on the E and S versions were replaced with aluminum to shave weight. The T version finally received ventilated disc brakes, but to keep costs down they were iron as opposed to the lighter alloy calipers used on the more expensive E and S. The only other significant change for 1970 was an anti-corrosion coating for the chassis.

C-Series production ended in August of 1970 after a total of 14,466 cars were built. The D-Series was introduced a month later with very few changes, other than further measures to combat corrosion with a zinc coating for the underbody and the use of galvanized steel for the body shell.  The D-Series ended production after a one year run much like it's predecessor with a total of 10,234 cars produced.

In 1972 production began for the predictably named E-Series, and ushered in some major revisions for the Model 911.  A production variation stemming from their overwhelming racing success of the early 70's, the 2.4L models of 1972 and 1973 are considered by many to be Porsche's best vintage 911's. The 72 Model 911's were, as expected, available as the entry level 911T, the more luxurious 911E and the top-of-the-line 911S.  Each had an option of Coupe or Targa body styles. The cars underwent several modifications resulting in improved high speed handling and better ride quality. The suspension mounting points in the rear were altered resulting in extra suspension travel, which improved performance on rougher roads. The T and E models were fitted with Boge shock absorbers, while the Model 911S got a Koni damper upgrade.

The handling and ride quality developments were quite noticeable and well-recieved; however it was the powerplant that received the most prominent upgrades. The capacity was increased from 2.2 to 2.4 liters in order to once again meet US emissions standards. Compression was reduced, however the larger displacement if 2341cc's made up for any loss of power - in fact with the additional modifications employed, the engines actually gained output. The 911T's output was increased to 130bhp, the 911E was ramped up to 165bhp and the 911S delivered a whopping 290bhp.

A further effort to improve handling prompted design engineers to move the oil tank from behind the right rear wheel to the front.  In order to make filling the oil tank easier, an external filler flap was installed below the right-side rear window. This distinguishing feature was extremely short-lived as occasionally the oil filler flap was mistaken for the gas tank which, of course, yielded undesirable results.

1973 brought few changes to the line up with the F-Series. The horsepower ratings remained the same while a few aesthetic changes were made.  The only development made during production was the replacement of the fuel injected system of the Model 911T with a Bosch K-Jetronic system.  The lack of further development in the F-Series may have been a result of the Porsche design team focusing their energy and resources on the soon-to-be unveiled ...

... 911 Carrera RS.  Which was definitely worth the wait.

911's from this period are highly regarded and highly collectible. The values for well-kept examples of this classic car can exceed $100,000. Classic insurance with an Agreed Value that accurately reflects the car's desirability is a must.