1968 Porsche 911

By the mid-1950s, the Porsche 356 was rapidly approaching its development peak, and its small-displacement flat-four engine limited Porsche to class victories in competition despite its durability and effectiveness. The successor to the 356, internally code-named 'Technical Project 7,' or simply 'T7,' had a history that dated back to design sketches by Ferdinand A. 'Butzi' Porsche in 1959.

Testing of the new car began in November 1962 at Porsche's newly constructed track at Weissach, Germany. By September 1963, the new '901,' soon renamed '911' to appease French automaker Peugeot, made its world debut at Frankfurt. Production began in September 1964 and has continued uninterrupted for over five decades. Over the decades it has been relentlessly developed and perfected from launch. Initial competition use focused on rallying, with the new 911's abilities confirmed during the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, with a 911 piloted by co-drivers Peter Falk and Herbert Linge finishing in fifth. Vic Elford co-drove with David Stone to take victory there with a 911 in 1968. Swedish rally drivers Bjorn Waldegard and Lars Helmer followed up with consecutive wins at the wheel of a 911 for 1969 and 1970. The 911 also took three consecutive European Rally Championships during 1966 (Gunter 'Bobby' Klass G3), 1967 (Sobieslaw Zasada G1/Elford G3), and 1968 (Pauli Toivonen).

The early, short-wheelbase series lasted from 1965 through 1968. By the early 1970s, the 911 had become the company's cornerstone for their competition efforts, with the company's switch in focus from all-out prototypes to production-based GT racing. The lessons learned from racing were later implemented on its road-going cars.

For 1968 the Porsche 911 lineup dropped the high-performance 'S' model. Porsche was unable to comply with the stringent emissions regulation in effect in the U.S. market. It would be re-added to the lineup a year later. In its place, the 911L (luxury) was added. The 911L added a leather-covered steering wheel and forged aluminum wheels. Power was from the 148 horsepower (American SAE rating) 2.0-liter flat-six complete with an added air pump and high-performance ventilated disc brakes normally. The new 110-horsepower 911T replaced the base 911 as the entry-level 911 model. European buyers, however, could still purchase the 911S in addition to the L and T models.

The base price for the coupe was $6,200 while the 911L Coupe was priced at $6,800. The Targa sold for $6,600 and the 911L was listed at $7,200. Power was from a horizontally opposed, overhead-cam six-cylinder engine displacing 121.5 cubic inches and producing 148 (SAE) horsepower. A four-speed manual gearbox was standard and a five-speed manual was optional. A Sportomatic semi-automatic transmission was also optional.

Porsche's new open-air Targa variant was named in celebration of the company's record of success at the Sicilian long-distance road race, the Targa Florio. The Targa body style was made available from December 1966, featuring a distinctive integral roll bar with brushed aluminum trim, a removable roof panel, and a 'soft' zip-out rear-window arrangement. The fixed glass rear window would not become available until 1968. The 'Soft-Window' Targa would be the closest Porsche ever came to offering a true cabriolet 911 model until 1983.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019