1968 Porsche 912 Targa

The question of how to tempt new customers into Porsche ownership has always been problematic. On the one hand, you're trying to uphold the reputation of the company as a purveyor of high-quality, high-performance sports cars while on the other, you're anxious not to alienate those potential customers whose budget won't stretch to a new 911.

In 1964, Porsche had just such a problem with the sales of their new 911 proving a touch disappointing and continuing demand for the 356, which was scheduled to be phased out, necessitating that the production lines kept rolling. The solution seemed to be financial, and the decision was made to replace the 356 with a four-cylinder, more appropriately priced 911 and, as a result, the 912 (initially 902) was conceived. First available to European customers by June 1965 (initially with 1582 cc and 90bhp), the 912 soon became a market leader, particularly in the USA. In the UK, it was some 30% cheaper at £2,466 compared to the £3,488 price tag of the 911 and went on to outsell its six-cylinder sibling by no less than 188% in 1966.

This beautiful, left-hand drive, Porsche 912 Targa was first registered on 1st January 1968 and is 1 of just 2,562 made. Finished in the highly topical and very rare Porsche colour of Oxford Grey(Beigegrau) with a black interior, the car has been the subject of significant expenditure in recent years and has just completed a ground up restoration.

The bodywork was stripped back to bare metal and resprayed by a well known classic car painter to a very high standard. All mechanical work was carried out to the same exacting standards and the history file boasts a huge amount of paperwork detailing the restoration. Work included: new Porsche front wings, new complete floors, new front suspension pan, all trim and light seals, full engine rebuild, new Bilstein shock absorbers, drive shaft rebuild, all aluminium trim replaced, new chrome bumper over riders, brake calliper rebuild, new trim for the Targa roof, 4 new alloy wheels and tyres, recovered steering wheel and dash, new transmission and engine mounts, new carpet set, new Dansk exhaust, new windscreen, new light lenses, new Hella fog lights and much more.

The current owner has managed two previous 912 restorations and is highly experienced in rebuilding them. As a result, this is one of the finest 912s we have seen for some time. Whilst the engine is not original to this car, it is the correct 912 unit and sounds absolutely superb. So perhaps not one for the purists, but one would struggle to find a better 912 on the market today and we encourage pre-sale inspections on this wonderful Porsche.