History of the 911 Targa
A prototype of the 911 Targa debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965, but the model was a compromise in Porsche’s early quest for an open-topped 911. The company had trialled a Cabriolet design in 1964, yet after testing a prototype the project was abandoned. Simply put, the mule had shown there were shortcomings in terms of rigidity, plus Porsche was getting nervous about supposedly impending US regulations which looked likely to outlaw open-topped vehicles.
The 1965 Targa was thus named ‘Safety Cabriolet’, its strengthened steel roll hoop in place of a B-pillar said to protect occupants in the event of an accident where the car should topple.
The design proved popular, and production began in 1966, with first deliveries in 1967. Early Targas had a clear plastic rear screen which could be fully unzipped – today these ‘soft window’ models are extremely rare. A wraparound glass rear screen was optional in 1967 but became standard specification in 1968. By 1968 the
Targa’s now customary three external gills were present either side of the roll bar, this design staying in place right up until the 964 Targa was discontinued in 1994. By 1996, the Targa design had changed completely, the 993 now boasting a fully retractable glass panel in its roof, enabling the silhouette to mimic that of the 911 Coupe, albeit with tapered rear quarter windows.
Porsche kept this design for the 996-generation Targa, though the rear window was now hatched to allow for better access to 230 litres of rear storage space. The sliding glass roof design was again used for the 997, albeit with 1.9kg saved from using weight-optimised glass. The 997 also switched the Targa to Awd-only variants, which of course remains to this day.
Porsche reinvented its Targa concept again for the 991.1 of 2014, bringing back that iconic roll bar and wraparound rear screen. The fabric roof over the front two seats retracted automatically at the pull of a switch, the spectacle involving the rear glass element tilting back over the 991’s rear lights in order for the fabric roof to be stowed. This system has been carried over for the 992.