1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 Targa (MFI)

• UK-supplied in right-hand drive through AFN and first registered on 01/01/1974
• One of only 42 UK 2.7 MFI Targas in 1974 and only two in Magenta (Karminrot 009)
• Fitted with the 210bhp 2.7-litre engine from the RS, Type 911/83 Bosch mechanical fuel injection and a Type 915/06 five-speed manual gearbox
• Substantially refreshed (engine, gearbox and bodywork) September 1990 (ú6,700+)
• Comprehensive restoration by Vintage & Classic of Oxfordshire 1995/96 (ú36,000)
• A long (20 years) and successful Porsche Club Concours career followed
• Accompanied by well-maintained records of mileages, services, maintenance/refurbishment as well as restoration costs, MOTs and journeys made in the car home and abroad, including numerous Concours events laid out in at least 10 folders. There is a service book as well as a record of all previous owners
• The current indicated mileage is 112,245. MOT valid until September 2021 (no advisories)
• In real terms, the 2.7 MFI performs as well as a 1973 RST and offers considerably better value

In a conversation about classic cars, very few models are regularly referred to by the year when they were built. The 1961 'flat-floor' E-Type is one, the 1963 'split-window' Corvette is another but the best example must surely be the legendary 1973 2.7 Carrera RS. The first two only lasted for the relevant year as you couldn't see out of the Corvette's split rear window, which is kind of the idea when it comes to windows, and you had to dislocate both ankles before driving the Jaguar, however, the limited production, motorsport-focussed '73 2.7 RS was just about spot on from day one. Ask any 911 enthusiast about the best ever Classic Porsche and most will respond with 1973 2.7 RS.

However, it's unlikely that anyone at Porsche would have imagined that their top of the range 1973 model would go on to achieve mythical status or that these cars would change hands at about 20 times their original showroom price 47 years later, so naturally, the focus in mid-1973 was on designing the new range of 911s for 1974. The auto industry model year (MY) runs from August 1 to 31 July, so a 1974 model would have have been produced between 1 August 1973 and 31 July 1974.

For the 1974 MY, three new 911s were offered on the new G-Programme (often incorrectly called the G-series) chassis, the 150bhp 911, 175bhp 911S and 210bhp Carrera. Coupe and Targa body styles were available as was a choice of manual or Sportomatic transmission. All had energy-absorbing bumpers, new interiors featuring redesigned seats with integrated head restraints, new door trims and side window demist vents on the dash. Options included a black finish on the Carrera side window trim and on the Targa roll-over bar and the 'ducktail' rear spoiler from the RS was also a popular option

The 1973 2.4-litre (911S) engine was replaced for 1974 with the new 2.7-litre engine with more durable Nikasil-coated cylinders. It was fitted with Type 911/83 Bosch mechanical fuel injection (MFI) from the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 and developed an impressive 210 bhp at 6,300 rpm fed through a Type 915/06 five-speed manual transaxle. The new car sat on seven and eight-inch-wide Fuchs alloy wheels behind which lurked a set of large ventilated disc brakes-282 mm in diameter at the front and 292 mm at the rear.

With so many mechanical similarities to the 2.7 RS, and weighing in at just over 1075kg, it's not surprising that the '74 Carrera MFI had nearly identical performance to the '73 Carrera RS in Touring trim and is said to have been the quickest normally aspirated road 911 produced until the late 1980s. Production saw 1,036 cars built, with 1,026 made for general sale as the first 10 numbers were assigned to factory test chassis. Just 117 right-hand drive examples were believed to have been produced of which 42 were Targas.

This stunning 1974 Carrera 2.7 MFI is indeed one of those 42 Targas and one of only two factory-finished in Magenta (Karminrot 009). There is a decent amount of history with the car (post-1980) and records indicate that it was built in late 1973 in right-hand drive for the UK market and supplied through AFN Limited to its first owner prior to being registered on 1/01/1974. The 1973 London Motor Show car was finished in Magenta and had obviously made an impression on the Targa's new owner as he wanted one just like it. It was specified with a black Targa top, and square black driver's door mirror, black Porsche door script, rear spoiler (473), Bilsteins, tinted glass and 7