1980 Porsche 911 SC Targa

The Porsche 911 arrived in 1964 and served as a replacement for the 356. The rear-engined layout of the 356 was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell. The 356's Volkswagen-based suspension was replaced in favor of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm setup. Originally, the single overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six-cylinder engine displaced 1991cc and offered 130 horsepower. Over the years, it was progressively enlarged and developed, and would eventually grow to more than 3 liters and, in turbocharged form, produced over 300 horsepower.

The first upgrades to the 911 occurred in 1966 with the introduction of the 911 S, which had Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels and a heavily revised engine. Handling issues were addressed in 1969, when it received a lengthened wheelbase. In 1970, the motor was enlarged to 2.2-liters. In 1977, Porsche reduced the 911 to just two models, the SC and Turbo. The normally aspirated 3.0-litre SC offered 204 horsepower by 1981 and gave it a top speed of 140 mph.

The company's newest variant of the 911 for 1978 was the 911 SC. It was given a revised version of Porsche's 3.0-liter flat-six, which was much more reliable than the 2.7-liter flat-six they replaced. The car's longevity was further reinforced with fully galvanized body shells. It was more refined, more dependable, and more driver friendly, while still out-performing every other car in its class.

The SC stood for Super Carrera and was destined to be the last of the model 911 line as the new front-engined V-8 Model 928 was to take over as the company's flagship for the 1979 model year. Sales remained strong for the 911 and the decision was made to keep the 911 in its lineup. Initially only available in coupé and targa bodywork, a cabriolet was first made available in 1983.

This SC Targa was completed at Porsche in 1980. It was a home market example that spent most of its life in Germany and Austria. It left the factory in the same color scheme that it wears today, in Grand Prix White over the red/blue Tartan Dress interior, and equipped with a Blaupunkt radio and rear windshield wiper. The odometer currently shows less than 68,000 kilometers.

The 2994cc SOHC flat-6 engine is fitted with a Bosch fuel injection system and offers 188 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual transmission and four-wheel disc brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016