1975 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe

The Porsche 911, launched in 1964 and still in production today, has created its own legend and is regarded as one of the finest sports cars ever made. Although the current 997 series is a far cry from that first 911 (or 901 as it was originally designated) of 1964, the basic elements - flat-six 'boxer' motor mounted behind the rear wheels, sharp steering and excellent handling in a relatively practical package - have never changed but constant development has kept the 911 ahead of its rivals. The original air-cooled engine grew in size from 2-litres to 2.4-litres by the early 1970s while the wheelbase grew by 5.6cm in 1968 with the B-series to improve weight distribution and handling. In 1974, Porsche gave the 911 a big revamp and the G-series saw the first significant modification to the 911's shape, with impact-absorbing bumpers with rubber protectors appearing for the first time while the interior was similarly revised. The 2.7-litre flat six was adopted across the range and the most desirable 911 of all retained the Carrera moniker first seen on the legendary RS of 1973. The Carrera motor used forged pistons and retained the mechanical manifold-injection system of the RS instead of Bosch's K-Jetronic injection used on the 911 and 911S models. Output of the Carrera remained the same as on the RS, at 210 bhp, and other improvements included bigger anti-roll bars front and rear, the same wheel and tyre package (185/70VR-15 fronts and 215/60VR-15 rears), alloy brake calipers, a three-spoke steering wheel, electric windows as standard equipment. Performance was sensational, with 0-100 km/h coming up in just 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h. In total, 1,543 coupes and 610 targas were built in the 1974-1975 model years, making these cars only slightly less rare than the legendary RS. With the 1973 Carrera RS almost universally regarded as the finest (and certainly most collectible) 911 of all time, the 1974-75 Carreras are now becoming increasingly sought after in their own right, offering virtually the same specification and level of performance. With prices of genuine Carrera RS Porsches reaching stratospheric levels, a 1974-1975 Carrera is a relative bargain and certainly one of the great 911s in its own right.