Gotcha I was looking at the switch that is the electric sunroof I hadn’t noticed that other other oddity you were referring to— that extra is a very odd addition and not elegant looking solution to whatever it is there for. Antenna switch for an electric which shouldn’t be needed but maybe someone wanted independent switching beyond radio on off of just listening to tape? Having said that looks like the antenna hole is the manuals side beside fillers so maybe not that
Steve
If the colour scheme is correct as pictured without the black Carrera side decal this could point to it being made before a black Carrara decal option was even allowed as option M462 on RS. Black side decal on the 2.7 RS only allowed about five months from RS launch. If so maybe points to the one listed being before second week Feb 73 ( not definitive because after that option was made available for non GP white cars it still wasn’t always selected by first owner on order)
Before second week Feb 73 only the RS model (specifically only the RS painted in the reserved for Carrera RS colour 908 GP white) could optionally have a Carrera side decal and that wasn’t black it was blue, red or green. Because of this any non-GP white 500er 2.7 RS strictly speaking shouldn’t have a side Carrera decal. It was the preserve of the white ones and not all those specified side decal either. The RS specific order procedure was quite clear about this even telling salesman how to fill in the order card and conversion order or letter in unique way for a RS homologation model.
During second week Feb 73 this was changed so non-GP White RS could have the black Carrera side decal if that specified as option M462. Some owners probably fitted the black side decal to those non-adorned early non-GP white RS to show it was the top if the range Carrera. Maybe after the Daytona 24 hrs win that happened about that time in Feb gave more reason for some to want to show their 911.744’s connection to the overall winner of that international race and other events where the production racer Carrera was having success. Maybe that’s even why Porsche relaxed the colour/ black decal configuration prohibition in order process around that time — having more 2.7 Carreras with that large side decal would probably get some attention on the street?
Steve
Last edited by 911MRP; 01-27-2022 at 08:12 AM.
I wonder where the A/C Condenser is located on the yellow car. Really a nice car by the way, just interesting variations.
David
'73 S Targa #0830 2.7 MFI rebuilt to RS specs
Steve, I noticed on the white car having an S front splitter instead of the RS type, were any delivered like that?
David
'73 S Targa #0830 2.7 MFI rebuilt to RS specs
Yes David, the France regulatory requirement meant they required Porsche to use the S front spoiler for RS model for cars sold and delivered there. Some reason the RS different shape front and or its glass fibre construction was not allowed in France. France also required additional stamping on the Vin plate.
With the RS being a homologation special a limited edition thought to be just 500 and rushed through slightly outside normal Porsche annual new model cycle there were lots of different issues with regulators in different countries in the program it seems. These required pragmatic changes for each market where they hit a problem or some had to be finessed creatively through country approvals.
Germany central regulatory authority had issue with RS rear spoiler with concerns about it being a risk of eg motorcyclist ran into the RS rear. Think RS was first road car with spoiler there? Time was ticking to get the homolgation so that county specific problem was managed by going around the central regulator approval tactically to other more local approval bodies and / or supplying some RS there with normal lid then retrofitting the RS ducktail after-sale … thereby getting around that challenge until Germany later approved a rear spoiler centrally.
England regulator did not allow plastic fuel tank and space savers were not legal so here we got the regular steel tank with 6r 15 fuchs / regular cinturato 185/70 spare not the usual space saver on the front compartment wheel well. Tbe RS was the first road car with different front and rear wheel/ tyre so presented an issue that needed longer than RS project could afford with their homologation clock ticking for the coming season. Strictly speaking a regular wheel in front didn’t really help legality if a RS rear was punctured Despite having similar rolling dimensions it still illegal to use one front size on rear as would not match on same axle, but it is was the solution used in U.K. in 73 for RS. The mismatched front/rear and space saver issues remained in U.K. for some years beyond the RS creating a precedent in 73. For some years 911 models were supplied in U.K. with space savers that had a typed paper label affixed by piece of string to wheel spoke stating it not legal to use - think space savers were technically legal to carry but as soon as fitted on road would became illegal as that breached the matching axle wheel pair rule. Labels still used later into seventies until space savers eventually deemed acceptable by the country regulators to use here. Likewise plastic tanks was permitted later. I wonder even today fitting my full size front spare as delivered to rear is still illegal; ironically the once outlawed space saver might now be legally permitted front or rear!
Such regulatory things are business as usual in new vehicle design and development with car companies having specialists in such things. I suppose the motorsport engineering led homologation driven agendas with tight timeline to get 500 (then 509 more) RS made and certified by on time for the 73 race season may have raised a few specific challenges for the RS project team compared to the normal series model NPD annual cycle.
They didn’t bother trying to get RS approved in USA despite the concerns they’d sell 500 ans it being biggest country market — the few RS that went there to “friends ans racers” required a notorized legal disclaimer they wouldn’t ever be used on road. Porsche even provided a pro-forma for RS to fill in a handful of blanks.
Europe was a common market then but not as harmonised on motor-vehicle type-approvals —also the U.K. only joined January 73 which was the same month the first RS example was delivered here. Other things were across all models not RS specific presumably those Italian side-lights and Swiss cars not allowed fanfare horns. All French 911 had different wattage bulbs sidelights for a while iirc. Others things in other countries too.
Steve
Last edited by 911MRP; 01-27-2022 at 04:08 PM.
Price reduction on aisle 73 . . .
Previous discussions about #1382:
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...382#post249785
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...382#post882732
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...382#post917840
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...382#post917842
Recent sales history:
August 2018 - RM|Sotheby's Monterey Auction - Sold for: US$1,380,000
September 2021 - RM|Sotheby's Private Sales - Listed for: US$1,550,000 (Asking)
RM|Sotheby's Private Sales, Culver City, CA
1973 Porsche 2.7L 911 Carrera RSH
VIN: 9113601382
Engine: 6331355
Trans: 7831355
Color: Light Ivory/Black
Mileage: 47,080 (indicated)
Price: US$1,350,000 (Asking)
Was on display at this month's RM|Sotheby's The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Auction:
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Photo: Rex McAfee
RM|Sotheby's Description:
- Praised as one of Porsche’s most desirable road cars
- One of just 17 “Homologation” Carrera RS 2.7s
- Matching numbers engine and gearbox; correct and original aluminum-case engine per factory documentation
- Superb restoration by marque experts
- Known and notable ownership history
According to the car’s Certificate of Authenticity, this stunning Light Ivory over black third-series RSH was completed in May 1973 and delivered to Ben Pon’s Automobielhandel BV distributorship in Amersfoort, Holland, on 1 June. Pon, who enjoyed a long working relationship with Hermosa Beach, California, Porsche dealer Vasek Polak, shipped the car to Los Angeles. Polak sold this RS to a customer in Texas, who reportedly defaulted on the purchase loan, after which the bank repossessed the car. It soon found a new owner in John Paul Sr., who retained the car for some time, with his son, John Paul Jr., entering it in autocrosses. It was also raced a few times.
The Carrera’s next owner was the late Tom Anderson, owner of Carrera Motors, a Porsche dealership in Bend, Oregon. Anderson traded the car to noted Portland, Oregon, racer and auto dealer Monte Shelton in exchange for a 934. Around 1985, Shelton sold this RSH to another Oregon Porsche collector and racer, Mark Heininge, who embarked on a full restoration. Heininge says the car was in excellent, rust-free condition with its original lighting units, including Bosch H1 dual-bulb headlights. It also retained its thinner Glaverbel rear quarter glass.
Because the engine in this car is stamped with the prefix 633 rather than the 663 normally assigned to the RS, Heininge suspected a factory stamping error, since the engine series number (1355) corresponded properly with the RS 2.7 production run. A lengthy exchange with the factory ensued, with Porsche’s Olaf Lang agreeing that a mistake must have been made when the engine was built. However, a homologation document emerged dated 5 May 1973, and it indicated otherwise. Based on that documentation, the factory changed the engine case material from magnesium to aluminum alloy late in the production run, prompting a change in the part number prefix. A copy of the FIA acceptance document, dated May of 1973, is included with this car.
Heininge says a previous owner had installed wider but incorrect ST 2.5-style flares to both the front fenders and rear quarters. To rectify the problem, expert restorer and fabricator Nate Cantwell from Connecticut recreated the car’s original wheel openings and flares. Rather than replace the front fenders, as they were original to the car, Cantwell used only the flare portions of the new fenders and butt-welded them to the original fenders. Likewise, a pair of OEM rear-quarter RS flares were meticulously butt-welded to the factory quarter panels. The bodywork became indistinguishable from new. The steel tub along with the fiberglass bumpers and engine cover were carefully stripped and repainted in the car’s original Light Ivory paint by Jim Nichols. Heininge commissioned a new headliner and lightweight carpet set and also acquired a rare NOS roll bar directly from Porsche.
Heininge says the car’s mechanicals were in great condition at the time of his purchase, but some freshening was carried out by Jeff Gamroth at Rothsport in Sherwood, Oregon, and Pat Hartmann at Hartmann Motors in Portland, Oregon. The original Fuchs alloy wheels, 7-in. wide in front and 8-in. in the rear, were properly refinished. The car also wears its correct lightweight black vinyl door cards and leather door release straps, and the glovebox door has been deleted, as on other factory Lightweights. In lieu of the usual cast metal Porsche hood badge, a simple Porsche decal appears.
Heininge enjoyed the car until 1995, entering it in the 40th Annual Porsche Parade in Portland where it starred in the Concours Historic Display. Seattle collector John McCaw purchased the Carrera and sent it to Bruce Canepa in Scotts Valley, California. There, this RSH was again comprehensively restored cosmetically and mechanically at considerable expense, as detailed in accompanying invoices. A new fuel cell was installed within the factory gas tank shell, as original units are no longer available.
Shortly afterwards, the car exchanged hands once more. Much like its last respected owner, the previous custodian sent chassis 1382 to marque expert, Phil Bagley at Klub Sport Racing in Riviera Beach, Florida, for freshening in 2016. A number of detail items were returned to original specification, including the chain tensioners, exhaust system, and some chassis and engine hardware. The RSH became part of the current owner’s collection in the summer of 2018 and it has been enjoyed by him for the past three years.
Accompanying the car today is its correct collapsible spare tire, tools, air compressor, jack, manuals, Certificate of Authenticity, a large folio of invoices, registration records, and factory correspondence.
Surely in the lineage of the RS Porsche 911, certain models rise above others, and the RSH does just that. Its timeless design combined with an excellent driving experience, make this an exceptional car in all regards.
Doug Dill
1973 911E Coupe
PCA #1987109761
Early 911S Registry #548
Thanks Steve, good info I wasn't aware of that.
Originally Posted by 911MRP
Cole Scrogham
Porsche Restoration
911, 912, 911R, RS, RSR, IROC
I once went through the RS list in the back of the Carrera RS book to find the cars that had optioned the Carrera decal for non-GPW colors (yeah, I lead a boring life...). The total was only around 50. So given that there were about 500 GPW cars, that leaves a bit more than 1000 non-GPW cars, yielding an uptake of only 5%. I think Steve is right- Daytona, other race successes, and positive public reception encouraged all the owners to slap them on their cars as well. But for the vast majority they are not factory original.
Jeff Jensen
Hi Jeff I get it. These little investigations are more interesting to me than doing crosswords Sudoko and other puzzles.
We have seen and still see countless examples of 911 with Carrera side decals black plus the three prime colours on gp white which make it seem like there must have been loads around originally. As you say not sure factory original decals on real RS particularly common especially during first half of 73 RS year.
I once estimate with a friend who since eighties had kept lists of cars that there were just a about 200 originals all country markets in reserved Grand Prix white with blue RS colour scheme. I was interested in that combo as that what I have. The first edition RS book soon came out with a chart that pretty much confirmed our estimate. Iirc just 205 originals were gp white with blue total across all markets and all three series? Not many at all.
Even by Feb of 73 at the time of the change permitting black only about two handfuls gp white with Carrera decal registered here in use on road for whole of U.K.
Staying with the U.K. market that I know best and using the first 500 to approximate those originally ordered with side decals before change of policy permitting black suggests there were less than twenty actually ordered with a Carrera side decal — so even the permitted colourful Carrera decals on white remained uncommon sight at first. No uptick until the February change to ordering procedure over four months after Oct launch and results of policy change filtered through to road due to lead time to build/physical deliveries. So uptick maybe in spring. That excludes the fashion for retrofits which maybe of
local and maybe used non factory decals sooner than ones coming through ironically. Further complicated by a hockey stick as other 911 superficially emulated the RS look with decals (and aftermarket spoilers) contributing to why it perceived as common.
Imitation is sincerest form of flattery, they say. Possibly different in the day to the impression we have of RS ubiquitous decal these days due to retrofit originals plus countless replicas, homages, tributes and even some cunning fakes.
I’m fortunate to be in touch with the salesman later general manager of dealership who ordered my car brand new and get relevant rare documents from him as he retired and downsized. That factory official RS ordering procedure (that was unique for a 911.744 model) instructed the ordering dealer to use the area of the order punch card normally reserved for targa details to specify which of the four gp white variants they wanted: gp white/blue, gp white/green, gp white / red or the gp white but with none of accent colours. Procedure made alternative use (four different codes of four digits reserved just for this purpose) but by exception entered them in the order card spaces normally reserved for targa specifics. This little nuance could only work for 911.744 model as there was no targa variant for RS once in production. So those spaces on card had no use. The idea of an RS targa and early work in that regard was probably a legacy of the aborted 911 2.7S plan — something that was no longer consistent with meeting the 500 FiA 900kg homologation chassis independently verified as meeting weight target to get certification — so targa RS would’ve been a nonsense given the whole raison d’etre for the special edition.
Last edited by 911MRP; 01-31-2022 at 03:54 PM.
March 2019 - Gooding & Company, 2019 Amelia Island Auction - NO SALE (Post auction listing: US$1,050,000)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gooding & Company, 2022 Amelia Island Auction, March 4, 2022
1973 Porsche 2.7L 911 Carrera RS Lightweight Coupe
VIN: 9113600196
Engine: 6630219
Trans: -
Color: Grand Prix White/Black Leatherette
Mileage: 17,415 (indicated)
Auction Estimate: -
Sold for: TBD
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Auction Description:
None at posting.
Doug Dill
1973 911E Coupe
PCA #1987109761
Early 911S Registry #548
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