Porsche 911 T 1973 - World Of Classic Cars -

Porsche 911 T 1973

Since the prototype was unveiled in 1963, the Porsche 911 has gone on to become perhaps, the most famous sports car of all time. A classically Germanic blend of engineering excellence and austerely beautiful design it remains to this day in real terms, the only supercar that can be reliably used on a daily basis. In 1973, it had already been 10 years since the 911 was first introduced and its spirit was alive and well. This year brought some major innovations, including the characteristic shock-absorbing bumpers, the 'ducktail' and 'whale-tail' and a completely galvanised body. In the same year, one of the most influential models in 911 history was introduced: the Carrera RS.

Porsche 911 T 1973

Most manufacturers struggle with torsional rigidity when trying to convert their coupés into convertibles (the other way around is often easier), and Porsche were no exception in the early sixties when trying to let the breeze into their new 901 (later 911). The solution was to build the car with a roll hoop as part of the chassis and when this was streamlined and cosmetically enhanced it worked well, and the result was an attractive "half-convertible" that was stiff and handled predictably. At a marketing meeting to decide a name for this new concept, Cologne dealer Walter Franz threw "Targa" into the hat conjuring up

Porsche 911 T 1973

images of their success with an open-top car in the hard-fought Targa Florio under a glorious Sicilian Sun. Whilst considering this possibility, someone pointed out to Harald Wagner, the marketing director that "targa" was Italian for "shield" and signified strength and safety, which obviously appealed to the Teutonic sense of responsibility, and so the name was adopted and is still in use today.