For the 1967 model year, Porsche offered a higher-performing variant of the original, short-wheelbase 911. The 911 S – for “Super” – offered performance enhancements over the standard model including a 160 hp air-cooled flat-six engine, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, KONI shock absorbers, a stiffer front anti-sway bar, an anti-sway bar added at the rear, and all-new five-spoke Fuchs alloy wheels. 0–60 mph times dropped to 6.5 seconds while top speed rose to a lofty 140 mph. In January 1967, Car and Driver enthused that “for a little two-liter sports car, it ranks with Robert Moses building a replica of the Great Pyramid of Cheops overnight.”
According to a copy of the Kardex on file, this 911 2.0 S was completed on May 20, 1967. One of only 1,823 Porsche 911 S coupes manufactured for the original model year, this 911 S was sold new through VW Pacific of Culver City, California, and picked up at the Porsche factory by first owner George Vernon Russell, a noted Los Angeles-area architect whose body of work included designing mobile battlefield headquarters for General Dwight D. Eisenhower and an addition to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Finished in Bahama Yellow over a black leatherette interior, optional extras specified include headrests, tinted glass, a strut brace, and a Becker Europa radio with speaker and antenna. Also supplied was a travel kit containing spare parts such as bulbs, fuses, gaskets, and spark plugs, a prudent addition for touring as Mr. Russell and his family were noted to have trekked through the continent to Turkey after delivery of this 911 S in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Upon its homecoming to the US, the 911 S is believed to have been serviced by Bob Smith Volkswagen-Porsche-Audi of Hollywood, California. In July 1985, the 911 S was purchased through that dealership by enthusiast Walt Hagstrom of Laguna Niguel, California. In 2012, Mr. Hagstrom sent the 911 S to Ruben Morales of Everyone’s Garage in Harbor City, California, for a mechanical restoration. A 36-year factory-certified Porsche technician, Morales rebuilt the 911’s drivetrain, while suspension and braking systems received similar attention. In early 2013, K&H European Auto Upholstery in Garden Grove, California, reupholstered the interior using the correct leatherette material. It was sold that same year by Mr. Hagstrom to European Collectibles in Costa Mesa, California, and additional mechanical, cosmetic, and detail work was performed including, according to the consignor, a Glasurit repaint from bare metal in its original hue.
Sold into current ownership in October 2014, this car has been enjoyed and displayed at numerous events including the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance and San Marino Motor Classic. Accompanied by books, tools, spare, jack, Kardex, Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and a substantial file of historical documentation and service invoices, this well-restored, first-year 911 2.0 S is ready to delight its next owner.
