1977 Porsche 911S Targa (LHD)

Highlights

• Fresh engine rebuild

• Beautiful patina

• Original interior

• Bosch fuel injection

• Imported from California

Overview

There’s something endlessly appealing about a car which wears its history proudly. And doubly so when it has had an engine rebuild to ensure it’s in tip-top mechanical condition. The gently mellowed paint and original interior conjure scenes of a life well-lived, long drives in the country, and wry smiles as the air-cooled exhaust note cuts through the air. While under the surface there are shiny bolt heads, and reassuringly sizeable invoices for professional machining and rebuild work.

This 911 S Targa started its life in the US, before being shipped to the UK in 2020. Little is known of its 43 years spent in the States, with the story being told via the car’s original Sienna paintwork and unashamedly 1970s interior. It features an early example of the low-impact bumpers which would come to characterise the styling of 911s during this period, and remains delightfully original throughout. 

Since undergoing the extensive rebuild work in 2024, the car has reportedly only been driven about 50 miles. So it’s just about as box-fresh a 70s 911 as you can get, short of a full nut-and-bolt restoration to shinier-than-new specification. But where would be the fun in that? Everywhere you look as you walk around this 911, you see stories of use and enjoyment. It’s the kind of history which can only be built up over decades of use. A living testimony to the car’s previous owners, as well as its designers, manufacturers, and maintainers. 

If you’re keen to acquire a historic 911 with a story to tell, then this Targa offers tantalising glimpses into the past. But it does so with the reassurance of freshly rebuilt mechanicals, and attention from some of the world’s leading specialists in classic 911s. 

History and documentation

• Declared manufactured in 1977

• First registered in the UK 1 Sep 2023

• Imported from California in March 2020

• Previous Vehicle Certificate of Title on file

• Shipping and import duty paperwork

• Registered as a historic vehicle, so MOT and Road Tax exempt

• Collection of invoices for parts and servicing 

• The seller tells us they have a certificate confirming that the car is ‘matching numbers’

• One key

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ exempt

Interior

• Left-hand drive 

• Original interior in 1970s brown 

• Vinyl upholstery and deep-pile carpets 

• The upholstery looks very good for its age, with few signs of wear and tear

• Manual seat adjusters 

• Carpets generally clean and tidy

• Porsche-branded footwell mats 

• Matching door cards, with storage bins and manual window winders

• Leather-trimmed steering wheel, with foam central boss

• Inertia-reel front seatbelts

• Heater and demister controls between the front seats

• Dashboard with matching vinyl trim

• There is a small split at the top of the dashboard 

• Large analogue gauges

• Blaupunkt AM/FM radio/cassette player

• Rear seating for two, with lap belts 

• The rear seat backrests can be folded down for additional luggage storage 

• Front boot, with spare wheel stored under the carpet 

Exterior

• Classic 911 shape 

• Finished in ‘Sienna’ paint 

• The body panels are generally presentable, with a few small dents, such as on the doors

• Some attractive patina to the paintwork 

• Small areas of fading, cracks, bubbling, and wear throughout the paint

• This adds to the car’s historic appeal

• The panel gaps look generally good 

• One corner of the bonnet panel is slightly bent

• The seller reports that the body is straight and true

• Fuchs 6 x 15 forged aluminium wheels in good condition

• The Goodyear Efficient Grip tyres are said to be new

• Porsche badges present front and rear, and ‘Targa’ script on the roof pillars

• Headlights clear and bright, with no obvious clouding 

• Distinctive wrap-around rear windscreen

• There is a small crack in the lower edge of the front windscreen

• Removable targa roof panel remains with the car 

• The underside of the car looks very clean and tidy, with the usual problem areas eg. kidney bowls etc. showing no signs of corrosion, but there is a small area of surface corrosion by the battery tray in the ‘frunk’

• The front bumper skirt is slightly out of place 

• US-spec low-speed impact bumpers 

Mechanical

• 2,687 cc air-cooled flat-six engine 

• Produces 173 bhp, and 188 lb ft 

• Bosch fuel injection

• Five-speed manual transmission

• Rear-wheel drive 

• The engine has recently been rebuilt, and has been bedded in but still needs around 450 miles of running-in

• Printed photographic record of the engine rebuild 

• Engine rebuild cost of £8000+, including new piston and cylinder assemblies fitted, new alternator, new clutch kit and release bearing

• Additional machining was carried out by renowned specialists Tuthill Porsche

• Other items included: new bearings fitted all around, chain tensioners overhauled, new chain guides fitted, new valve guides fitted where necessary, all valve seats recut and lapped 

• Said to start, drive, and stop well

• No reported mechanical issues

• The overall mechanical condition shows it has been well looked after

Summary

Opportunities like this don’t come along very often. Freshly rebuilt air-cooled 911s are certainly something we all dream of, and this one is ready to transport you straight back to the 70s. 

The targa roof gives a great compromise between a coupe and a cabrio, and arguably looks cooler than either, while just looking at the LHD configuration has us dreaming of a European road trip. Whichever lucky bidder gets to own this next, we’re going to be more than a bit jealous.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located near Banbury, Oxfordshire.