Porsche 911 S

The vehicle in detail

By 1973, Porsche’s one way or the highway method had run its course. The U.S. had implemented the requirement of low-speed impact bumpers and if the famed German auto-maker would want to continue selling 911s to their biggest market, they would need to comply. But, prior to listening, Porsche wanted one last last go with what was, is, and always will be, the favorite amongst 911 trims—the S. Before scrunching some rubber on either sides of the 911, there was only one silhouette that Porsche-philes knew—the 901. In the years building up to the final long hood, the introductory design underwent some changes. In ’66, .2 more liters and in ’67, the 911 grew a larger wheel base, leaving the Short Wheel Base (SWB) designation as a nomenclature exclusive to ’63-’66’ models. The ’73 911 S would feature a 2.4L magnesium-cased flat-six which put out 181 bhp and was mated to an iteration of the 915, 5-speed manual gearbox, that would be seen in the upcoming ’73/’74 Carrera RS. To sum it up, the 1973 911 S was one of the best 911s ever built—and no, we’re not biased…okay, maybe a little—a silver 1973 Targa was, in fact, the car that—at age three—inspired our founder, Bill Goldstein’s lifelong Porsche obsession.