Porsche 911 (classic) Features, Photos and Videos

The original Porsche 911 (pronounced nine eleven, German: Neunelfer) is a luxury sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The famous, distinctive, and durable design was introduced in autumn 1963 and built through 1989. It was succeeded by a modified version, internally referred to as Porsche 964 but still sold as Porsche 911, as are current models.

Mechanically, the 911 was notable for being rear engined and air-cooled. From its inception, the 911 was modified both by private teams and the factory itself for racing, rallying and other types of automotive competition. The original 911 series is often cited as the most successful competition car ever, especially when its variations are included, mainly the powerful 911-derived 935 which won 24 Hours of Le Mans and other major sports cars races outright against prototypes.

The Porsche 911 was developed as a much more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356. The new car made its public debut at the 1963 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, better known to English speakers as the Frankfurt Motor Show.

It was initially designated as the "Porsche 901", after its internal project number. However, Peugeot protested on the grounds that in France it had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. So, instead of selling the new model with another name in France, Porsche changed the name to 911. It went on sale in 1964.

The earliest editions of the 911 had an air-cooled, rear-mounted, 2.0 L (1,991 cc) 130 PS (96 kW; 130 hp) flat-6 "boxer" engine, similar to the 356's four-cylinder 1.6 L unit. It was mated to a five-speed manual "Type 901" transmission. The car had 2+2 seating, though the rear was very small, also like the 356. The styling was largely by Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche, son of Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche. Erwin Komenda, the leader of the Porsche car body construction department, was also involved in the design.

When 356 production came to an end in 1965, there was still a market for a 4-cylinder car, particularly in the USA. The Porsche 912, a slightly downscaled 911 fitted with the 356's 90 hp (67 kW) engine, was introduced the same year as its replacement.

In 1967, Porsche introduced the more powerful 160 PS (120 kW; 160 hp) 911S. Alloy wheels from Fuchs, in a distinctive 5-leaf design, were offered for the first time. A 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp) racing version of the 911 engine was developed and used in the mid-engined Porsche 904 and Porsche 906 track cars.

The Targa version, with a stainless steel-clad roll bar, appeared the same year. Porsche had feared the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would outlaw fully open convertibles, an important market for the 356. It was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered alongside from 1968).

The name "Targa" - shield in Italian - came from the Targa Florio sports car road race in Sicily, in which Porsche had scored seven victories since 1956, with four more to come through 1973. This last in the subsequently discontinued event is especially notable as it was won with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Italian factories of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo.

The 110 PS (81 kW; 110 hp) 911T was also launched in 1967 and effectively replaced the 912. The staple 130 PS (96 kW; 130 hp) model was renamed the 911L. The 911R, a lightweight racing version with thin aluminium doors, a magnesium crankcase, twin-spark cylinder heads, and a power output of 210 PS (150 kW; 210 hp), had a very limited production of just 20 cars.

In 1969, the slightly lengthened B series was introduced. It moved the rear wheels on all 911 and 912 models 57 mm aft, increasing wheelbase from 2,211 to 2,268 mm (87.0 to 89.3 in) to remedy to the car's nervous handling at the limit. Fuel injection arrived both for the 911S and a new middle model, the 911E. A semi-automatic Sportomatic model, composed of a torque converter, automatic clutch, and four-speed transmission, was added to the product lineup.

The 911 B17 is a concept designed by Pininfarina, which took a standard 911 and lengthened the wheelbase by 7.5 in (190 mm), resulting in a car that weighed almost 2,500 lb (1,100 kg).

For MY 1970 the engines of all 911s were increased to 2,195 cc (2.195 L; 133.9 cu in). Power outputs were uprated to 125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp) in the 911T, 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) in the 911E, and 180 PS (130 kW; 180 hp) in the 911S. The 912 was discontinued, with the 914 taking its place as Porsche's entry model.

Despite the lower power output of the 911E compared to the 911S, the 911E was quicker during acceleration up to 160 km/h (99 mph).

The 911 C 20 was a prototype based on the standard 911 but lengthened by 13.6 in (345 mm) over the stock car. It used a 911S engine.

The 1972–1973 model years consisted of the same models of 911— the entry level T, the midrange E and the top of the line S. However, all models got a new, larger 2,341 cc (2.341 L; 142.9 cu in) engine. This is universally known as the "2.4L" engine, despite its displacement being closer to 2.3 litres— perhaps to emphasize the increase over the 2.2 L. The new power ratings for the T were 130 hp (97 kW), or 140 hp (104 kW) in the U.S., 165 hp (123 kW) for the E and 190 hp (142 kW) for the S.

The 911E and 911S used mechanical fuel injection (MFI) in all markets. The 911T was carbureted, except in the United States where it also used MFI, which accounts for the 7 kW (9 hp) power difference between the two. In January 1973, U.S. 911Ts were transferred to the new K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Fuel Injection) system from Bosch. These CIS-powered cars are usually referred to as "1973.5" models by enthusiasts.

With the power and torque increases, the 2.4 L cars also got a newer, stronger transmission, identified by its Porsche type number 915. Derived from the transmission in the Porsche 908 race car, the 915 did away with the 901/911 transmission's "dog-leg" style first gear arrangement, opting for a traditional H pattern with first gear up to the left, second gear underneath first, etc. Some say this was because the dog-leg shift to second gear was inconvenient for city driving, other say it was due to Porsche’s desire to put 5th gear outside the main transmission housing where it could easily be changed for different races. The Sportomatic transmission was still available but only as a special order.

In 1972 a tremendous effort was made to improve the handling of the 911. Due to the 911's unusual engine placement (rear-mounted, with most of the vehicle's weight concentrated over the rear axle), early 911's were prone to oversteer when driven at the limit, and could easily spin in the hands of an inexperienced driver. In an attempt to remedy this, Porsche relocated the oil tank from its position behind the right rear wheel to in front of it. This had the effect of moving the weight of almost 8.5 L (9 US quarts) of oil from outside the wheelbase to inside, improving weight distribution and thus, handling. To facilitate filling of the oil tank, Porsche installed an oil filler door (much like the fuel filler door on the left front fender) on the right rear quarter panel. Unfortunately, this unique design was scrapped after only one year, some say because inattentive gas station attendants were putting gas in the oil tank. The oil tank was subsequently relocated to its original position for model year 1973, and remained there until it was relocated within the wheelbase for the 964 models.

911S models also gained a discreet spoiler under the front bumper to improve high-speed stability. With a weight of only 1,050 kg (2,310 lb), these models are often regarded as the best classic mainstream 911s. For racing at this time, the 911 ST was produced in limited numbers (the production run for the ST only lasted from 1970 to 1971.) The cars were available with a choice of either 2,466 cc or 2,492 cc engines, producing 270 PS (266 hp; 199 kW) at 8,000 rpm.[clarification needed] Weight was down to 960 kg (2,120 lb). The cars had success at the Daytona 6 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours, the 1000 km Nürburgring and the Targa Florio.

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