1973 Carrera RS Cars for Sale

[mbmcrae]

serial number on engine case is not original stamp.

To which car are you referring?

[DOUGS73E]

To which car are you referring?

I believe it is this image of 1193:

1973 Porsche 2.7L 911 Carrera LW - Grand Prix White 10.jpg

[Rick Cabell]

1193 , lightweight

[DB68]

serial number on engine case is not original stamp.

The description for this car states “Matching numbers engine”….the description for the Bonhams RHD Signal Yellow car states “Original matching numbers engine”. The cynic might say that the omission of the word original is deliberate.

[911MRP]

https://canepa.com/photo-gallery/197...he-911-rs6339/

Just quickly skimmed thorough the listing but didn’t see the vin stamp or engine stamp photographed — did I miss them?

Some observations on a few small things that caught my eye:
Front slam aluminium plates: one there has stamped info where I would have expected some embossed detail of original, why? Other seatbelt mounting aluminium compliance plate showing BSau48 as required by regulators all C16 British market cars for seatbelt mounting no longer there, why?

Curiously early photos of car on 74 Circuit of Ireland rally show no external mirror not even the round single Durant of c16 EG spec. Still not there. Maybe it was deleted by special request when new but c16 EG RS normally have this single driver side mirror?

I have doubts the black Carrera side script would’ve been on it originally as early cars other than white didn’t get the option of side decals until later if memory serves me well— don’t know but I’d lean to this car not having black Carrera decals when new.

Edit: my (possibly flawed) recollection from the RS dealer ordering procedure documents among my slightly earlier RHD history file is black side decals in the negative Carrera script were first allowed on RS in Feb 73. Since this car was said to be delivered to customer in early feb 73 seems unlikely it had them when ordered or when it left factory. If delivered to customer when stated presumably shipped over the Channel during Jan 73. Up until that Feb change the RS ordering process offered option of red blue or green side Carrera decal in combination with GPW only (or GPW omit side decal) . No side decal of any colour including black offered for a non-white RS initially. So until that change the side Carrera decal was only possible if ordered in the reserved for RS colour Grand Prix White. Back facing decals (on non GP white) rear lid / ducktail were all black from the start — that was even the case for black cars initially despite the poor contrast of black on black. Since the Carrera RS was only sold as a coupe the ordering procedure described how to repurpose the area of order card reserved for targa information to specify the code denoting RS car colour/ wheel / decals. (Spoiler delete lid was different by having a proper Carrera RS emblem badge (not decal) also differed in being affixed in central position if no ducktail to mirror the series lid TES model designator position; sensibly a red decal on rear ducktail lid was soon permitted to be ordered by exception on those RS painted black to give contrast. “Porsche side decal was a different option)

Engine fan decal later AG not the original KG, no under tray beneath front cross member don’t believe that was omitted from M471 Sport so had it gone missing? iirc RHD are different under-tray to LHD and original good condition ones are hard to find

Has 7 & 8 now but early photo of it on 74 rally shows car on the correct for its series 6 &7 while a fashionable upgrade once this possibility ( wider wheel was later option no M numbers) only appeared in spring. So are wheels excluding spare wider than original as delivered in car of that first 500 series or as it was seen around 74? Car has its full size fuchs 6x15 spare wheel and tyre and steel tank (not plastic) which is correct for c16 EG due to regulations at time prohibiting the plastic tank with inflatable spare of some other markets.

The quantity of paint applied on the inner front wing ( fenders) abs areas inside the boot ( trunk) is not the very thin imperfect overspray with undercoat very visible of an original. Looks pretty but is it how it would have been so is now which seems better than factory? To some maybe that paint there is an improvement but to others maybe rather a pity?


Anyone know asking price? As stated few RHD m471 Sport built — just over three handfuls made in that RHD M471 configuration and not all of those would have had the thin the lighter weight homologation body shell/ other special features —many M471 Sport had a very hard life in rallying / racing in the UK, Isle of Man and in Ireland. Interesting how in descriptions, like so many vendors, they don’t use the correct original designation for the conversion: M471 Sport. Being a first 500 series car it would have been weighed and certified for homologation so was probably a “lightweight - lightweight” not what my friend calls a “heavy-lightweight” of the third series that never even got the thinner panels or most of the other limited edition weight saving measures even when new.

(Very small point — the circular paper tax disc showing that the annual road tax is paid is traditionally positioned lower left corner of front windscreens so looks a little unusual to a
Brit in that current spot)

Observations are possibly minor details. Nice to see an early RHD m471 Sport offered for sale as not many made.

Steve

[windhover]

Hello Steve,

This is really interesting knowledge to me. Am I correct to read that for the first 500 cars, there was no side decals offered from factory except white cars which came in blue/red/green options?

Thank you!

Also on the colors question, does a silver 2.7RS exist? Ive never seen one before

[210bhp]

Hello Steve,

This is really interesting knowledge to me. Am I correct to read that for the first 500 cars, there was no side decals offered from factory except white cars which came in blue/red/green options?

Thank you!

Also on the colors question, does a silver 2.7RS exist? Ive never seen one before

Steve is correct on the decals.
There were no production 73RS’s in silver although there is at least one in the UK now painted silver.

Regards
Mike

[911MRP]

No metallic RS except the special green one for Ferry Porsche that had no ducktail. Metallic paint of era deemed too heavy for RS with 900kg homologation target and /or hard to manage quality on RS with its mix of Glass-fibre and steel.

[911MRP]

Don’t know if it corresponded to first 500 exactly but my recollection of facts is Feb was point when could first get a side decal on an RS other than red green or blue on the colour code 908 Grand Prix white which was in model year 73 reserved for RS. Don’t recall if Feb was when black Carrera side-script could be ordered on non white RS or when first built with black side decal.

To order RS the model specific ordering procedure I have among history files instructed dealer to use a four digit code on columns 20-25 on the order card (which I believe was the card characters normally reserved for Targa) to specify the colour combination uniquely for RS; this repurposing of those characters worked for 73 RS as model 911744 was a coupe only. The coloured side stripe being a order configuration complexity not encountered on models before that. On the order procedure there was no combination of four digit code that allowed a side decal other than in combination with grand prix white (except for conversion to M491 which was quite different to sport or touring). Not entirely sure why they didn’t simply use three M options for the red green or blue; however unlike the Porsche side decal which iirc was an M option this foe RS was different being a combination of paint colour, wheel colour and and decals . Maybe because wanted the limited edition Carrera RS to have its reserved exclusive colour precluded Carrera decal being an a more straightforward M option accessory? Also the side Carrera stripe was still being finalised late in the cycle— my English Carrera RS brochure shows positive stripes but has an A4 erratum. My very rare service information in English shows positive decal so looks like this aspect was being done hurriedly. Black on black paint rear decal at first being symptomatic of such haste — iirc that got changed to allow red on black tail around end of calendar 72 as lack of contrast for model insignia was silly.

It helps to remember all 500 of what was then planned to be the entire limited RS series sold out within week at launch early October so first 500 would have been ordered against the specification at the time. I’m sure they didn’t encourage change afterwards for early examples as would already be wrestling with with all the operational confusion of the two order for homologation system. Easy to forget these days there was only originally 500 planned, the second series was only announced externally after the unexpected sell out and as they realised pressing on using the momentum to do a further 500 would open up the other FiA Group.

While there are now countless imitations with side stripes it was different back in the day for the British market of the car that started the discussion — there were only about 20 RS of all colours registered on British roads when this RHD M471 was registered in February 1973 (which is about half way through the whole of Porsche’s model year). Just nine of those RS on road in U.K. were white with factory side stripe / coloured wheels around time it was registered Feb 1973. Something that is quite easy to lose sight from perspective of today’s enthusiast scene that became awash with RS replicas often sporting all manner of non original colour and decal combinations. Not to everyone’s taste to have the Carrera side script of course, so customers could omit side decal on white cars (dealer used the same area of the order card to specify side decal be omitted using its own four digit code). I don’t recall any of the British GP white RS not have a Carrera side — clearly not a shy bunch.

Owners prerogative to have decal on car if they wish but less forgivable if done in error through ignorance of what is period correct and authentic by restorers vendors etc who ought to know better.

[cscrogham]

serial number on engine case is not original stamp.

It's an "AT" replacement case. This should not be classified as a matching numbers car.