1968 Porsche 911 T 2 Litres Coupé châssis court
€50,000 - 70,000
£41,000 - 58,000
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/2176...rency=GBP&m0=0
imageCAVZFJC1.jpg
1968 Porsche 911T 2.0-Litre 'SWB' Coupé
Coachwork by Karmann
Chassis no. 11825410
Engine no. 911/03-2081313
Porsche's long-running and much loved 911 sports car first appeared at the 1963 Frankfurt Show as the '901', but shortly after production proper commenced in 1964 had become the '911' following Peugeot's complaints about the use of '0' model numbers. The preceding Type 356's rear-engined layout was retained but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six engine displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower. The first of countless upgrades to the perennial 911 came in 1966, two years after production had commenced, with the introduction of the 911S. Easily distinguishable by its stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels, the 'S' featured a heavily revised engine producing 160bhp. In 1967 the 911T (Touring) was introduced as a new base model, initially with the 2.0-litre engine in 110bhp form before gaining the 2.2-litre unit, along with the rest of the range, in 1969, by which time the 911's wheelbase had been extended by 57mm. Such was the 911's success that within a few years Porsche was selling cars faster than it could build them, a state of affairs that led to a substantial proportion being manufactured by coachbuilder Karmann at its Osnabrück factory.
One of only 683 Karmann-built 911T coupés produced in the last year of the short (2,211mm) wheelbase chassis, this matching numbers example has been in an Italian private collection since May 2010. It has covered approximately 9,000 kilometres since a comprehensive restoration was finished in September 2011 and is described as in generally excellent condition. The car has the desirable five-speed manual gearbox and is finished in Blood Orange with black vinyl interior. Accompanying documentation consists of Italian Libretto; Certificato di Proprieta; Porsche Certificate issued by Porsche Italia confirming chassis and engine numbers; Certificato di Rilevanza Storica ASI (Certificate of Historical Relevance, issued by the Italian Historic Auto Club); and CSAI/ACI homologation papers. Immensely popular within the classic rallying fraternity, these early short-wheelbase 911s are rarely seen in original form today and unmodified survivors, such as that offered here, are highly sought after by collectors.