Case Study: Porsche 911 Targa 1967

This 1967 Porsche 911 Targa, chassis number 500017, is one of the earliest examples known to survive. Records suggest that it predates the first Targa believed to have been sold to a member of the public, which is known to have carried the chassis number 500021. 

It was back in August 1965 that Porsche applied for a patent to cover its new ‘semi-convertible’ and, in the autumn of 1966, work began on the assembly of a series of pre-production examples. As yet, the new model didn’t have a name to differentiate it from the regular coupe versions of the 911 and 912, but following a meeting held at The Fleischauer dealership in Cologne, at the suggestion of Porsche sales director Harold Wagner, the term ‘Targa’ was decided upon in honour of  the company’s victories in the Targa Florio road race.

On completion, chassis number 500017 was delivered to Fleischauer and first registered on 31st January 1967. Chassis number 500018 was delivered to the USA on the same day, suggesting that these two cars could well have been used to promote sales of the new model in both the domestic and the largest export markets.

The factory Kardex (the written record retained by Porsche showing the build date and specification of each new vehicle, a copy of which accompanies the car) shows that the engine – number 911124 – is original to chassis number 500017. Worthy of note is that while this engine (type 901/01) forms part of the range 909001 to 912050 as installed in 911s of this era, it predates the engines fitted to production Targas, which began with number 911191.

The Targa remained in German hands until 1982 when it was imported into the UK, at which point it was registered as XEF 88Y on 17th September 1982. In November 1990 it was issued with the current age-related number (SVN 99D). The first UK owner is unknown but the second, Barbara Hutt of Middlesbrough, acquired it in 1983 before selling it to John Bennett in Prudhoe in 1989. Mr Bennett kept the car for only a short time, selling it to Darren Weighhell of Northallerton a year later. From that point on it remained in the same family (with a further two registered owners) until it was taken off the road several years later.

Marque specialists Williams Crawford of Saltash, Cornwall, acquired 500017 circa 2016 in a partly disassembled state and in need of a total rebuild. Soon after began a process of research and restoration that would take over 900 man hours of painstaking attention to detail. During that time, it was discovered stamped into the door body and engine lid the ‘017’ from the chassis number, which confirmed these were the original panels. 

Now presented in its original Polo Red (6602) with black leatherette interior, 500017 is presented to a standard far beyond that which was available in 1966. 

With less than 200 miles covered since its fastidious detailed restoration, this piece of Porsche history is now ready to be enjoyed.