Porsche 911 E

We are pleased to offer this rare, UK-supplied, right-hand drive 1972 Porsche 911E 2.4. A Porsche Certificate of Conformity confirms a build completion date of January 1972, with the car first supplied to the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire through UK distributor AFN in February of the same year.
It was specified from new in optional Gemini Blue Metallic, paint code 8686, with black leatherette and corduroy interior. Pleasingly, this is the colour and trim combination it still wears today.
The history file confirms servicing by recognised Porsche specialists through the 1980s and 1990s, together with a list of previous keepers acquired from the DVLA. Like many early 911s, by the early noughties the car was showing the familiar signs of corrosion, and its then owner embarked on a comprehensive, documented restoration.
Values were very different at the time, so whilst the history confirms the work carried out, it would be fair to say the quality of that earlier restoration was very much of its period.
We supplied the car to its current keeper in 2011 as a usable example, for a smidge under £40,000, which seems quite unbelievable today for a right-hand drive 2.4-litre E. The buyer, by his own admission, is a very particular chap, so following his purchase, a thorough examination and inspection was carried out by his friend Robert Gant, who confirmed that whilst the car was indeed usable, a far more detailed and comprehensive restoration would be required to elevate it to the level he wanted.
Soon after purchase, the car was therefore entrusted to Robert’s business, Gantspeed Engineering, for a two-year, total nut-and-bolt restoration.
For those unfamiliar with the classic Porsche scene, Robert Gant, now retired, and his team at Gantspeed had been fettling and restoring classic Porsches from a quiet corner of Lincolnshire since the mid-1970s. Their knowledge of these early cars was intimate, and the standard of work speaks for itself.
A measure of both the quality involved and the owner’s commitment to getting the car right is the restoration cost, which exceeded £180,000. That is not an unsubstantial figure, but in today’s terms the same work would be nearer £300,000. Since completion, a further £20,000 has been spent on upkeep and maintenance to ensure the car remains in top condition.
Our Thoughts
A well-sorted early 911 brings pure driving pleasure, and as you would hope, this little E is now an absolute gem. Everything works beautifully, allowing a brisk pace to be maintained without ever feeling like the car has to be wrestled along.
Sitting in the restored sports Recaros, with the original steering wheel offering a light and delicate feel, it is a joy to thread down a favourite A or B-road, where a car like this really is in its element. It has also been beautifully and correctly restored, in fact to a level that would frankly be very difficult to justify today.
Add to that the fact it is a genuine matching-numbers, UK-supplied, right-hand drive 1972 Olklappe 911E, and the appeal is clear.
Best of breed? We will let you decide.