When Porsche decided to homologate the 1968 911 for competition purposes, they started with the most minimally equipped model – the 911 T. Production 911 Ts were a full 54 kg lighter than their S brethren, making them an obvious basis for a featherweight racing car. The resulting cars have become known as 911 T/Rs and were built in limited quantities in a wide range of specifications. For many customers, this was the first opportunity to buy a race-prepared 911 directly from the Porsche factory, instead of building one themselves.
Fitted with either a standard 160 hp 911 S engine or a 210 hp, twin-ignition, 906-specification engine, these cars could be optioned with circuit or rally equipment, special gearing, and other features custom-tailored to meet a customer’s needs. Depending on the source referenced, Porsche built approximately 35 911 T/Rs for the 1968 season.
In early 1969, Porsche prepared three identical 911 T/Rs for SCCA C-Production class racing – chassis 119100194, 119100215, and 119100216. According to a copy of the Porsche Kardex on file, this car, 119100215, was painted Light Ivory and equipped with a performance-tuned 901/16 engine, 901/13 transaxle with Nürburgring gears, front oil cooler, 100-liter fuel tank, limited-slip differential, 16 mm sway bars, ventilated brake discs, 15” Fuchs alloy wheels, and Dunlop racing tires.
All three T/Rs were delivered to Volkswagen of America at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April 1969, and this car was subsequently shipped to Kline VW-Porsche of Indianapolis. Jim Osborne, the dealership’s general manager, campaigned the 911 T/R throughout the 1969 SCCA season, reportedly winning the Central Region’s C-Production championship and qualifying for the American Road Race of Champions Runoff at Daytona. Additionally, the Porsche took part in the Wolverine Trans Am race held at Michigan Speedway in May 1969, where it placed 7th in the U-2 class.
After the 1969 season, the 911 T/R passed through three Indiana-based racers – Gene Dodd, Bill Marsh, and Ron Jones – who entered it in various SCCA and IMSA races throughout the early 1970s. In 1973, Tom Barrick of Indianapolis bought the 911 and actively campaigned it in IMSA’s competitive GTU class. With drivers Dave Causey, Don Parish, and Ed Taylor, the 911 raced successfully through 1977, capturing class wins at Road America, Talladega, and Mid-Ohio, as well as earning the prestigious 1974 Porsche Cup for the under 2.5-liter GT class.
During the late 1970s, Dr. Barrick rented his 911 to several notable drivers including Rusty Bond, Jim Trueman, Chip Mead, and Jon Higgins. A highlight of this era was a 2nd in Class finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1979. The following year, Higgins bought the 911 and continued to race it in major North American events through 1985, including four separate outings at Sebring.
Sympathetically restored during the late 1990s by then owner Roy Sanders of South Carolina, the venerable 911 T/R went on to win an award at the 2000 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Soon after its post-restoration debut, the Porsche was sold to Phil Bagley of Klub Sport Racing, who prepared it for a return to the track. Throughout the early to mid-2000s, the T/R was actively campaigned in HSR and SVRA historic races at Watkins Glen, Sebring, Laguna Seca, Palm Beach, and Road Atlanta. It also participated in Rennsport Reunion II, held at Daytona in 2004.
Eventually restored back to SCCA C-Production specification by Phil Bagley, this remarkable 911 T/R has spent the past decade in the private collection of a prominent American Porsche collector and racer. During this time, it has seen occasional track use, including an outing at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Today, the car presents in superb condition, and it is accompanied by a voluminous history file that contains period photographs, race programs, and ownership records, as well as copies of the Porsche Kardex and Certificate of Authenticity.
Presented here is a truly remarkable Porsche 911 – a factory-built T/R that competed for over 15 years at the highest levels of North American sports car racing. During its extraordinary career, this car was entered in numerous IMSA and SCCA races, including three editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona and eight editions of the 12 Hours of Sebring – the two most important American endurance races. Despite its extensive competition history, this 911 T/R maintains a well-documented ownership chain and presents in much the same form as it did when it was first raced by the Kline VW-Porsche team in 1969.
For the Porsche devotee in search of an early 911 competition car of quality and distinction, this fascinating T/R represents an unrepeatable opportunity.
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