1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre Targa


Details

The Porsche story is a fascinating one and its roots go back to the 1930’s when Professor Ferdinand Porsche was instrumental in the design of the first Volkswagen and also Auto Union race cars. By 1939 he had built three Porsche cars to compete in the 800 mile race from Berlin to Rome. Unfortunately the race was cancelled due to the war and Porsche was forced to focus on supporting the German war effort, however, he had always wanted to build his own cars. In 1944 Porsche was forced to leave Stuttgart and he set up a small operation in Gmünd, Austria. Soon after the Porsche family and many of their engineers were captured and sent to jail. Ferdinand Porsche’s son. Ferdinand junior, or ‘Ferry’ as he was known, was released six months later and he returned to Gmünd to rebuild the family company. Things moved quickly and Porsche was involved with cars again and in mid-1948 the first Porsche 356 was built. It is understood Porsche built some 50 hand built aluminium bodied cars in their small factory at Gmünd before relocating back to Stuttgart, Germany. The rest they say is history as the 356 evolved into one of the most successful sports cars ever built. A hard act to follow indeed . . . but its replacement, the Porsche 911 went on to become a legend!

The evolution of the Porsche 911 is probably the greatest sports car story of all time. First introduced in 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and then designated as a 901, the successor to the 356 took the world by storm. To avoid conflict with Peugeot, who claimed exclusive rights to car names with three digits having a ‘zero’ in the middle, the car was renamed as 911. The first production 911 was built in 1964 and it was powered by an air cooled 1991cc 6 cylinder engine. The car evolved with increases in engine capacity to 2.2 litres, 2.4 litres, 2.7 litres, 3.0 litres and 3.3 litres. There were styling changes also, but one always recognised the car as a 911. Today the first series of 911’s is recognised as the cars built from 1963 to 1989 and include the very popular Porsche 911 and 930 Turbo models. Of these the ‘small bumper’ or ‘pre impact bumper’ cars built up to 1973 are today regarded as the real classic 911, however, that comes at a price. In the last few years astute collectors and enthusiasts have seen great value in 1970’s model 911’s. In 1975 Porsche introduced the 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre which was the top of the range 911 model of the day. The Carrera 3.0 Litre was powered by essentially the same 2997cc engine used in the 930 Turbo, minus the turbo charger! These cars were only built in relatively small numbers with just over 3,600 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre models built throughout two years of production. It is understood that 2,564 coupes and 1,123 targas were built.

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre Targa. This is a UK delivered, factory right hand drive car. Accompanying this car are its original books which notes that it was delivered on the 7th August 1976 by AFN Ltd, Falcon Works, London Rd, Middlesex in the UK to its first owner, Mr  Philip Edward Sparks from Carshalton, Surrey in the UK. Sparks only had the car a short time and it was sold to a Mr Larry Webb from Harpenden, Hertfordshire on the 1st of December 1976 at which time the odometer was 2,400 miles. The car passed through a few other known owners in the UK before being acquired by the current owner, who was living in Leven, Yorkshire at the time, on the 24th June 2006. The car was purchased through Specialist Cars of Malton. At the time of purchase the odometer read 149,200 miles.

Whilst in the UK the car was last registered as RKY912R. It previously carried the registration OYH33R and NPN9.

In 2008 the car’s owner immigrated to Australia and he brought his much loved Porsche with him. There is an Import Approval on file dated 17th January 2008.

Since arriving in Australia the car has been well maintained by Porsche specialists in south east Queensland. In October 2019 the engine and gearbox were reconditioned, the trigger being a broken cylinder head stud. The work was completed by respected Brisbane based Porsche specialists DHM Auto Solutions. At that time the odometer was 155,029 miles. In December 2020 the car was serviced by DHM at 155,806 miles.

Today this 1976 Porsche Carrera 3.0 Litre Targa presents and drives exceptionally well. Whilst the car carries an older repaint, the white paintwork remains in very good condition. It has a good depth of colour with a high gloss. There are only a few minor imperfections and blemishes evident. The most noticeable are some bubbles on the bottom of the driver’s door, most likely caused by blocked drain holes at some stage.  The targa roof fits snugly and it is in very good condition, as is the all of the external trim, badges and the glass. The only exception is the front badge which is showing some wear.

The panel gaps are excellent confirming this to be a clean, straight car. It should be noted that the driver’s door check strap is broken. The red Fuchs 15” wheels, running Falken tyres all round, are a real feature on this car and they are all in excellent unmarked condition.

Inside the cabin this car is also exceptionally well presented. The black upholstery is in excellent condition all round with no rips, tears or splits in the seats. The door cards are also in excellent condition, as are the door pockets which often sag on these cars. The dash is clean with no cracks or warping evident. All of the instruments and controls are crisp, clean and in working order. The steering wheel has recently been refurbished and presents like new.

The history file confirms that this 911 has been impeccably maintained over the years and with a recent engine / gearbox rebuild you would expect it to drive really well. It is easy to be disappointed if you start with high expectations . . .  however, after a few minutes behind the wheel of this car your expectations are more than met. This Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre Targa drives every bit as good as it looks. The car is incredibly tight on the road and apart from the odd knock from the broken door check strap the car has no rattles or squeaks. A weak point on these cars is often the gearbox and linkages, however, on this car the gear change is superb. The 2997cc engine was quoted as delivering 200 hp when new and this car feels like it has all of that.  The engine pulls strongly through the rev range and with an upgraded exhaust system it makes a ‘beautiful noise’! The original has been upgraded with an eleven blade fan to ensure the engine is kept cool in the Australian climate. The original fan is with the car.

The engine bay presents exceptionally well and all of the stickers are in place and in good condition. Under the front boot the story is the same. Everything is clean and tidy, including the carpet matting. The original (unused) space saver spare wheel is present, as is the air compressor, tool kit, jack, safety triangle and a custom car cover.

This car has an impeccable and fully documented service history, confirming it has been meticulously cared for throughout its life.

A picture says a thousand words and whilst this car looks STUNNING in the photos we think it looks even better in the flesh!

Today the odometer reads 155,965 miles, confirming the car has travelled less than 7,000 miles whilst in the care of its current owner since 2006.

Highlights:

  • A UK delivered, factory right hand drive, matching numbers example.
  • Finished in a STUNNING colour combination of white with martini stripes and red wheels.
  • Recent engine and gearbox rebuild by Brisbane Porsche specialists DHM Auto Solutions.
  • Full books and an excellent service history.
  • This car is ready for its next keeper to use and enjoy.

The Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre was built in limited numbers and is a rare model. We see this model as somewhat of a sleeper and offers ‘great value’ when compared to the early ‘small bumper’ cars and the 930 Turbo.

 


Specification

  • -
  • Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 Litre Targa
  • 1976
  • Targa
  • Manual
  • 155,965 miles
  • 2994cc

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