1972 Porsche 911E

The 1972 Porsche 911 lineup consisted of the 911T, 911E, and 911S - all available in either a coupe or a Targa with 2+2 seating. The Targa Top had been introduced in 1966 with a built-in roll-over hoop for safety purposes. The early examples utilized a removable clear plastic window that could be taken down to create a near-full convertible when the folding center roof panel was also removed. To improve weather sealing, Porsche soon added a large fixed wrap-around glass backlight.

The 911T was the entry-level model priced at $7,250 and equipped with the Type 911/57 engine that was carbureted, except in the United States and some Asian markets. The 911T also came with an (MFI) mechanical fuel injection system and Type 911/51 engine. The 911E used the Type 911/52 engine and the 911S was equipped with the Type 911/53 engine, both used the Bosch mechanical fuel injection system in all markets.

In the United States, the 911E was priced at $8,000 for the coupe and $8,730 for the Targa. The 2,341cc had a slightly higher compression ratio than the 911T and delivered 185 (SAE) horsepower at 6,200 RPM and was backed by a four-speed manual gearbox. A five-speed manual or four-speed Sportomatic was offered as optional equipment.

One of the few changes to the 911 series for 1972 was the '2.4' label found on the engine-lid even though the engine displacement was closer to 2.3 liters. The five-speed unit Type number 915 was derived from the transmission in the 908 race car, and no longer used the 901 transmission's 'dog-leg' style first gear arrangement, instead opting for the more conventional H-pattern for shifting. All the engines could now operate on regular gasoline and the wheelbase grew slightly, from 89.3 inches to 89.4 inches.

The 1972 Porsche 911E had an unusual oil filler behind the right side door and the dry sump oil tank relocated from behind the right rear wheel to the front. These changes were done in an attempt to move the center of gravity slightly forward and improve handling. With the extra oil filler/inspection flap located on the rear wing, it gained the nickname 'Oil Klapper.'

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2020