1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0-Litre Targa

Introduced in September 1975 for the 1976 model year with production only running until 1977, the Porsche Carrera 3.0 is rightly regarded as somewhat of a special and rare model amongst the impact-bumper era, 911 model range. Following on after the MFI-engined Carrera 2.7, the 3.0 Carrera heralded the adoption of the newly developed Bosch K-Jetronic CIS fuel injection engine. This torque-rich, smooth and free-revving 3-litre engine, with a distinctive 'cam' effect from 4,000rpm, produced 200bhp and was effectively a naturally-aspirated version of the 930 Turbo's drivetrain, using the same die-cast aluminium crankcase and gearbox housing for durability.

Having considerably more torque than the outgoing Carrera 2.7, the Carrera 3.0 was one of the earliest Porsches to return economical fuel consumption figures without any significant performance loss and acceleration times from 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph were almost identical to the original 2.7 RS and 2.7 Carrera. Performance was aided further by the relatively light weight of the 3.0 Carrera compared to its successors. During its short two-year life span, only 3,687 cars were built in total - a tiny amount compared to nearly 58,000 911 SCs and 76,500 3.2 Carreras produced. Worldwide production ran to 2,564 Coupés of which 1,123 were Targas. Only around 1,064 Coupés were manufactured in right-hand drive and it is understood that this car is one of just 27 Targas.

According to the copy Bill of Sale on file, dated 26th July 1977, a William Findlay, Esq., of Stranraer, Scotland bought this car, chassis 9117610526, in the fabulously retro Platinum Metallic, a special order paint costing £259.00. The interior was specified as Cork Leatherette with beige pin-stripe velour to the seats, whilst the black Porsche lettering cost an additional £27.00, bringing the total price to a, not inconsiderable, £15,467.14. The accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity confirms the engine number as 6671537/930/02 whilst the 5-speed manual transmission is recorded as 7175674/915/61. Listed as optional equipment are impact absorbers, forged alloy rims, sport seats, chrome trim (instead of black), front and rear spoilers, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, the 5-speed gearbox and coloured windows.

The original service book lists the name and addresses of two subsequent owners whilst the maintenance record show dates, stamps and mileages for the appropriate schedules. The detailed history file includes reams of period receipts, whilst the most recent invoices are a mix of specialist workshops and Porsche main dealers. It was bought by our vendor, a longstanding customer with an enviable car collection, on 27th September 2020 from long-term family ownership. The coachwork has been painted to a high standard and the interior remains remarkably original and still wonderfully 1970s. The MOT is valid until September 2023 and the V5C is present.

Presented to auction with an odometer reading, at the time of cataloguing, of 74,029 miles, this car, as one of the rarest UK-market production Porsches, represents good value against the 930 Turbo and is the smart choice for those who respect history, rarity and condition.