911E EVOLUTION

Developed as the successor to the 356, the first Porsche 911 was unveiled at Frankfurt in 1963. Interestingly, following Porsche’s usual model numbering system, the new car was originally designated as the Porsche 901 but Peugeot objected to their use of the middle ‘0’ – as used on their cars – hence 911. Butzi Porsche is credited with the design of the 911 and while longer and wider, echoes of the 356 were still present. Early 911s were powered by an air-cooled, 2.0-litre flat-six with overhead camshafts and two carburettors. With 97kW on tap, the car had a top speed of 210km/h.

The 911 initially came with steel wheels with chrome knave plates, with the iconic Fuchs alloys arriving in 1966 with the 911S (‘S’ for Sport). In 1967 drivers who liked to bathe in sunshine while touring in their 911 got the Targa version, at first with a zipout rear window panel – this replaced in 1969 with a curved glass window.

With the arrival of the 911S highlighting a need to differentiate models within the 911 range, in 1968 the 911L (Luxus) and 911T (Touring) were introduced with the first 911E making an appearance in August 1968. The 911E would become the new mid-range model, superseding the 911L. Initially it still utilised the 2.0-litre engine, although now with an output of 104kW with the advantage of mechanical fuel injection and CD ignition. The 911E also featured self-levelling suspension for increased comfort.

From August 1969 the 911E’s engine capacity was increased to 2.2-litres. In this form the flat-six developed 116kW. In August 1971 engine capacity was increased again to 2.4-litres with a corresponding increase in power to 123kW.

The 911E remained in production until 1973, with a total of 12,159 examples being built.