The birth of an icon.
As the successor to the Porsche 356, the 911 conquered the hearts of sports car fans right from the start. The very first 911 began life as the Type 901 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963. The name was changed for its market launch in 1964. The air-cooled, flat-6 engine delivered 130 hp – enough for a genuine 210 kilometres per hour. Drivers preferring to go a little less fast could from the following year order the four-cylinder Porsche 912. In 1966, Porsche launched the 911 S. Producing 160 hp, it was the first 911 to sport Fuchs forged alloy wheels. The 911 Targa came onto the market at the end of 1966 and with its striking stainless steel roll bar became the world’s first super-safe convertible. From the following year, the 911 was available with ‘Sportomatic’, a semi-automatic, four-speed transmission. And with the 911 T, E and S models Porsche became the first German carmaker to fulfil the American Environmental Protection Agency’s strict anti-pollution exhaust requirements. With engine capacity increases to 2.2 litres (in 1969) and 2.4 litres (in 1971) the Porsche 911 became ever more powerful. To this day still the dream car to beat all others: the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from 1972. Engine power of 210 hp and just 1,000 kilograms in weight. Its characteristic ‘ducktail’ was the first rear spoiler fitted as standard to a production car anywhere in the world.