ALEX MANOS
With the layman seeing the 911 and 912 as essentially two flavours of the same model, it made perfect sense for Porsche to introduce a hierarchy to the 911 range, a move which saw a variety of different letters attached to the end of those iconic three digits. Enter the humble 911 T...
Cars I really love are 911s from the early 1970s. Announced in 1969, the second-generation of Porsche’s flagship included the introduction of a 2.2-litre flat-six. The 911 T, one of which I have on-sale at my classic sports car dealership, Beverly Hills Car Club, may have been the entrylevel pick of the bunch (the two-litre variant remains the lowest-output 911 ever built), but in 2.2-litre form, it produced 123bhp.
For the 1970 model year, the then new 914 was the official entry point to Porsche ownership, enabling 911 T buyers to spend with confidence knowing they’d no longer have to find reasons to justify not buying a tastier Porsche when being quizzed by inquisitive neighbours. Those keen to rewrite history will be only to happy to describe the T as stripped-back in the interests of delivering a more focused attack of the asphalt, but the truth of the matter is that in 1967, the 911 T was essentially a replacement for the outgoing 912 before the conclusion of 914 development work in partnership with Volkswagen. The T was a model relieved of creature comforts and performance equipment, but far from Porsche wanting to deliver a more hardcore 911 (as per the 991-generation Carrera T), the rationale for the T’s lack of desirable specification was simply to reduce manufacturing costs. Then again, in terms of a purer Porsche driving experience, there’s an argument less is more.
I’m not alone in adoration for this breed of Porsche — another person who loves the ‘longhood’ (as this generation of 911 is familiarly known) is the stand-up comic and car collector, Jay Leno, who owns a brown 1971 911 T. In the 2001 film, Blow, the character played by Johnny Depp owns a Tangerine-coloured 911 T, providing the model with guarantee of credibility, not that such an impressive car ever really needed one.
The example I’m selling comes in a colour hard not to be entranced by: Bahia Red (translated from the German Bahiarot and carrying factory paint code 1313). This is a most subtle shade of fire-sign red, but one which unfailingly signposts itself on the car. Indeed, this particular colour draws attention to 911 model changes in readiness for the arrival of the 1970s.
The already legendary Porsche’s exterior visuals were enhanced with wider flares on the rear and front quarter panels. This was when the wheelbase moved up a small but significant size, earning this era of 911 its ‘longhood’ appellation — the 911 was now 2.4 inches longer than models built before 1969. Larger wheels and tyres were introduced to provide increased roadholding, considerably enhancing handling whilst managing to maintain the soul and spirit of the original 911. Although the 911 T ran on carburettors in markets outside the United States, mechanical fuel injection was the order of the day this side of the Atlantic. Clearly, the 911 had come a long way since the 901 was unveiled at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show.
As the 1960s were drawing to a close, Porsche built upon what came before by providing 911 buyers with a newer and stronger transmission, which was a reflection of the power and torque increase across the range. The gearbox was derived from the 908 race car, with the option of a fifth gear which could be adapted to assorted racing circuits. A Sportomatic transmission was available as a special order. Ventilated disc brakes were a further improvement.
The Porsche you see in the photograph on this page is the very 911 T I’m offering for sale through Beverly Hills Car Club. The car comes complete with the expected five-speed manual transmission, 2.2-litre engine and four-wheel disc brakes, but also air-conditioning and much more customary detailing, including a gold Porsche nameplate, a matching model number badge, solid wheels with radial DH-60 tyres and those achingly gorgeous Porsche-branded hub caps.
The diminutive size of this car (compared to later 911s) makes it feel excitingly quick, even at slow speed. It’s a handful in corners, the body leaning hard into bends as the nose heads for a quick exit. Soft brakes ask you to plan in advance for where it is you’d like to stop — it’s a car which makes you work for reward, but the effort is absolutely worth it. Talking of reward, a 911 of this age is a bona fide classic consistently increasing in value, another reason to love it. Buy one before prices are out of reach. ●