FS: @Bonhams - 1970 porsche 911e 2.2-litre targa/cabriolet

[stradman]

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21908/lot/27/

Hi guys,
Just want to know what you all think about this car. The question is whether or not this car is an actual prototype. I do find it hard to believe that Porsche would have experimented with a car(in this case, a Targa) by removing the roll bar and doing all the necessary chassis reinforcements(literally chopping and welding) and then after all that, put the targa bar back on and sell it as a normal 911E Targa! It just doesn't make any sense to me. Of course I am not sure and wonder what others have to say.

The other thing of course is that everything on this car(including the soft top) is the owners(or restorers) interpretation, as from the description the car was in a poor state with spoilers etc, and of course it would have had a Targa roll bar, so the car I guess obviously does not possess any original prototype bits to it.

I'm also not so sure about the story with the 6 "cabriolet" prototypes in 1969-1970. From what I have ever read and understood, I cannot see any suggestion that this occured at that time. After 1965/66, when the Porsche board wholly rejected the possibility of a cabriolet due to structural rigidity problems found in the original 901 prototypes I don't believe they revisited this again until about 1978 when Hans-Peter Bauerle(a mechanical engineer) came on board Porsche to look at some of the body manufacturing problems they were having with the all aluminum 928 prototypes. At the same time the steel industry began producing some high strength steels which made them look at the 911 cabrio possibility again. But even so it still took them until 1981/2 to get the car right.
So interested to hear others opinion.

[Frank Beck]

Where does one even begin?

One has to wonder where/how they got the idea this was done by the factory.
Restoration quality is sub par to say the least. Looks like they just grabbed whatever fasteners they had lying around.

Somebody was a risk taker; I would have left the Targa bar on.

[LongRanger]

VIN = 9110210288
Eng# = 6208144
Trans# = 7200373

'. . . Believed one of six cabriolet prototypes . . .

1970 Porsche 911E 2.2-Litre Targa/Cabriolet
Chassis no. 9110210288
Engine no. 6208144

. . . By the end of 1969, while already producing the Coupé and Targa versions of the 911, Porsche began developing a proper cabriolet. Expected US safety legislation had prompted an ingenious approach to the first soft-top 911, the Targa, which sported a hefty roll-over bar to protect the occupants in the event of an inversion, together with removable roof and rear hood sections. In 1969 Porsche tried to re-launch the concept of an open 911, and according to information obtained and validated by various experts such as Jean-Pierre Cornu and Jürgen Barth, they made six prototype cabriolets for evaluation. These cars had a strengthened chassis and other features to maintain the 911's good roadholding in open form and to meet the US requirements. In the event, Porsche decided not to bring the 911 cabriolet model into series production and the six prototypes were rebuilt to Targa specification and sold on. This is one of the six cars, though it should be noted that its history has not been officially confirmed by the factory. Porsche eventually got around to making a proper 911 cabriolet in the early 1980s . . .

. . . Porsche has confirmed that chassis number '9110210288' is a Porsche 911E Targa delivered in 1970 with engine number '6208144' and gearbox number '7200373'. It is the 288th of 933 cars built and was first registered on 8th January 1970. Around 2004 the car was discovered by the current owner in a very poor condition, with extended wings and numerous non-original additions. The 911 was completely dismantled for total restoration but at this time the owner was unaware of its special status. It is only during the car's disassembly that its special prototype features were found. More and more of these special features came to light during the restoration, leading specialists to the conclusion that it was of one of the six 911 cabriolet prototypes. Accordingly, it was decided to restore the car to its original cabriolet specification of 1969, prior to its reconfiguration and sale as a Targa. This important restoration, carried out by La Carrosserie de Provence, was to such an exemplary standard that the story of the rebuild was featured in the Porsche reference magazine 'Flat Six' (September 2004 edition, copy available) . . .

. . . Since the restoration's completion in 2004, the car has been very carefully maintained by the same owner and is described as still in very good/perfect condition. Accompanying documentation consists of expert Jean-Pierre Cornu's detailed condition report (dated 2007), sundry restoration invoices and French Carte Grise. A fascinating 'might have been', this 911 cabriolet prototype represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a little-known piece of Porsche history . . .'



Another thread . . .
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...type+cabriolet



I would hope/expect that Bonham's has vetted the car + any claims before posting any of this

Love to see this Kardex --- + any Faktory correspondence/documentation



(NOT mine)

[LongRanger]

Makes me wonder how Ruf did it . . .
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...=ruf+cabriolet

[silverc4s]

The car at Bonhams is a cut targa. You can put perfume all over it, but that is all it is, absent factory verification of the "story".

[boxster03]

I bet it was the very first Porsche ever manufactured too

[BrentF]

The ad copy is very crafty and attempts to leave the reader with the impression that this was a factory prototype, without actually stating so explicitly. The following comment confirms for me this is not a factory prototype:

"Porsche has confirmed that chassis number '9110210288' is a Porsche 911E Targa delivered in 1970 with engine number '6208144' and gearbox number '7200373'. It is the 288th of 933 cars built and was first registered on 8th January 1970"

Is that all Porsche has confirmed? Evidently it is.

Finally, where's the Kardex? Wouldn't that confirm whether this truly is a factory prototype or not?

[gsjohnson]

What a mess...

[Bill Simmeth]

The ad copy is very crafty and attempts to leave the reader with the impression that this was a factory prototype, without actually stating so explicitly.

I don't know, this line seems pretty expilicit to me: "This is one of the six cars".

[BrentF]

I don't know, this line seems pretty expilicit to me: "This is one of the six cars".

Yes, except that statement has a important qualifier of its own, so it's hardly something they want to be liable for, and reads:

"This is one of the six cars, though it should be noted that its history has not been officially confirmed by the factory."