Trio of Targas hit Fort Lauderdale auction

Three roofless Porsches straight out of the ‘70s

Those blessed with an understanding of the Italian language will know that ‘targa’ means plate – but in the late ‘60s, Porsche commandeered the term not for crockery, but for its semi-convertible models.

Targa-branded 911s featured roofs with removable centre sections. The wraparound rear windscreen and stainless steel roll bar stayed put, while the driver benefited from a letterbox of fresh air with the panel pulled off.

And now a triptych of early-’70s Targas are set to sell at RM Sotheby’s Fort Lauderdale auction this weekend. Can’t afford a flight to Florida? We’ve got all the details here.

Heritage label

Porsche first used the Targa moniker on its 1966 911 Targa – and the concept has remained much the same to this day: a semi-convertible hard top with all the grunt of your average 911. Named after Italy’s Targa Florio endurance race, in which Porsche enjoyed great success, it was a fitting label for a gutsy sports car open to the elements.

Glass at the back

Come the early ‘70s, the Targa name and notion were still going strong. The plastic back had been replaced by a single curved piece of glass and the stainless steel roll bar had gained the classic trio of vertical vents, but it otherwise remained every bit the original open-top Porsche.

Green machine

The first Targa going under the hammer in Fort Lauderdale is this 1973 number. Finished in a rare shade of Viper Green, the ‘E’ label stands for ‘einspritzung’ – the German word for injection, symbolic of the mechanical fuel injection with which it was equipped.

Comfort as standard

Sitting between the high-performance 911S and the cruising 911T, the 911E was something of a luxury Porsche (and indeed replaced the 911L).

It was equipped as standard with a comfort package that served up such delights as velour trim, a leather steering wheel and gold writing on the rear deck.

Certified excellence

Distinguishable by the fact that its oil cap is located beside the engine (having been moved from the outside of the car apparently after several unfortunate petrol pump mishaps), this 1973 911E goes to auction in excellent condition, Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and all.

Performance perch

Even with the fixed-glass setup freeing up some space, the two semi-seats in the rear will be a squeeze for most – though the driver of this 911E gets the gift of a sports seat. The shotgun passenger? Not so lucky.

Good numbers

Chassis 9113210764 also carries a matching-numbers example of Porsche’s 2.4-litre 165bhp flat-six engine – which, in the right conditions, could see the 1075kg 911E reach speeds in excess of 130mph.

Quite the package

Pairing Porsche power with drivability, practicality and cabin comfort – illustrating a newfound focus on interior usability – this 911E is a fine example of the Porsche’s almost-convertible sports car.

It’s yours for an estimated $130,000 (£93,000).

Same same but different

Take a glance at the second Targa up for auction and you’d be forgiven for seeing little difference versus the first – besides the paint job, of course. Still carrying those ubiquitous early-’70s Porsche curves, it's a semi-topless Targa just like the 911E.

Better injected

This touring Porsche had something special under its boot lid, though. Produced around the same time and wearing an all-but-identical shell, the 1973.5 911T Targa trumped the 911E in one big way: CIS fuel injection.

Bosch makes it better

Here, that .5 in '1973.5' makes all the difference. It denotes a ‘late’ model of Porsche’s touring 911 and, therefore, one that carried a Bosch K-Jetronic Continuous Injection System. Why was that so important? It meant efficient, reliable, non-mechanical fuel injection.

Everyday drive

Partnered with Porsche’s 2.4-litre motor, it delivered a brilliant blend of power and smooth performance that, thanks to an abundance of torque, was just as comfortable crawling down the high street as it was roaring along the autobahn.

Windy winner

Shelled like an early 911 with the power of a later one, the 1973.5 911T was an adept touring machine – and in Targa setup it offered arguably the best way to get the wind in your hair in a Porsche, before going down to the shops to buy some milk.

Light on the gas

That balance showed in the fuel economy, too: the 911T could average more than 32mpg, despite having a 130mph top speed in its sights.

Period parts

Paired with the refined and desirable 5-speed manual transmission, this example of the 911T has been thoroughly restored using almost entirely original parts, making it a stunning Aubergine-coated illustration of the Targa’s glory days.

Unique finish

Though the 911T was built in healthy numbers, only 1300 or so were made in this particular configuration by Porsche. Given the condition, it’s little wonder this capable touring package is set to fetch something near the $150,000 (£107,000) mark when it goes under the hammer later today (April 6).

Sporting heritage

The final Targa of this trio is an earlier model: a 1971 911S. Similarly available with that sturdy roll bar and removable roof, the 911S Targa benefited from performance befitting a machine with Le Mans-winning pedigree.

Tweaked equipment

All Porsche 911s built in the 1970-71 production cycle carried a 2.2-litre engine, but it was the 911S that did the most with it. With the help of mechanical fuel injection, it derived 180bhp from the block to deliver a top speed of 138mph and a 0-60mph time of 7 seconds.

Stiff upper frame

With figures like that, it’s worth remembering just how beneficial that roll bar was. Despite the loss of a good chunk of roof panel, structural rigidity wasn’t markedly affected in the Targa (particularly with the fixed rear glass), meaning the 911S could still do the daily drive without a noticeable difference in handling.

Trim on the Targa

While 4691 examples of the 2.2-litre 911S are recorded as having left the factory, fewer than 750 did so in Targa guise – making this 1971 machine a pretty rare beast, which probably goes some way to explaining the $175,000 (£125,000) upper estimate.

A few careful owners

Chassis 9111310162 remained with its original owner from purchase until 2004 – and it spent the better part of 20 years in storage, ensuring that it remains in fantastic condition today, despite being a largely unrestored example.

Original gear

Besides a repaint in 2005 to achieve a flawless grey finish worthy of this race-bred open-top, it’s seen little in the way of refurbishment besides a rebuild of the removable Targa lid – which means most of the machine is entirely original.

Recorded provenance

A matching-numbers engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission only sweetens the deal, together with a raft of documents (including a long record of meticulous maintenance) and, more importantly, an original Porsche tool kit.

One fine collection

With the first proper 911 Cabriolet not arriving until 1982, the Targa was the only open-top option available to Porsche 911 enthusiasts in the ‘70s – but it was by no means a compromise.

Splash out on this trio of Targas and you’ll bag not just a stable of significant 911s, but also three classics that are guaranteed to make you smile. Provided you’ve got $500,000 (£355,000) going spare, that is.