1967 Porsche 911

Restored 1967 Polo Red Porsche 911 Soft Window Targa 1991cc Flat-6 5 speed

The first visible variation on the original Porsche 911 body was the Targa. Named for the company's successive wins in that grueling Sicilian road race, the Targa was introduced in 1965 in an early bid to sidestep the anti-convertible legislation already being anticipated by the automobile industry worldwide. Designed with a unique exposed roll bar to maintain structural rigidity in the absence of a pillared roof, the Targa initially featured a plastic rear window that could be unzipped and removed for a more open-air driving experience.

Known colloquially as the “soft-window Targa,” by 1967 this new model proved surprisingly popular; initial production was immediately swept up by West German customers, forcing Porsche to increase production to meet growing export demands. To Porsche executives' surprise, the new variant was an unexpected hit with the company's rapidly expanding customer base.

Rare and exceptionally desirable, this 1967 Porsche 911 Targa is nothing short of a sensational example that drew the crowds at this year's Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge, part of the Rennsport Reunion 7 held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, in September 2023. Completed on March 30, 1967, and one of just 282 produced, it presents as originally finished with correct Polo Red paint over a black leatherette interior with black corduroy seat inserts.

Its 1991cc Type 901/6 flat-6 engine and Type 902/1 5-speed manual transmission have been certified with a Porsche Classic Technical Certificate, and the car was delivered new with a Blaupunkt multiband radio, antenna, warning lights, a wood-rimmed steering wheel and Dunlop tires. As described in the accompanying Porsche documentation, this 911 Targa is in “excellent condition over all subsections”—high praise indeed coming from expert factory authorities. Porschephiles with a taste for paramount collectability and superb quality will find this 1967 911 Targa an enticing example of Porsche excellence.

Key details
Exterior: Polo Red
Interior: Black with Red Piping
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual
VIN / chassis: 500218

Offered by Paramount Classic Cars & Trucks, 3030 Falling Creek Rd, Hickory, NC 28601. Taxes, title and fees not included.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Classic Cars.