Porsche Looks Back At First 911 Models

Ahead of the eighth generation's imminent reveal.

There is perhaps no more recognizable sports car on the planet than the 911. Introduced on 12 September 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the 901 it was renamed the 911 a year later and Porsche haven't looked back since, well until now that is.

Few could have predicted that its rear-mounted flat-six engine layout and teardrop silhouette would still be with us over half a century later, yet on the 27 November, the eight-generation of this world-conquering sports car will be revealed. To reflect on this model's development milestones we take a look, with Porsche's help, at the first two generations of the 911.

That first model to arrive offered up 130 horsepower from its 2.0-liter flat-six motor, plenty for the day and capacity increases soon saw this figure increase to 190 hp in the 2.4-liter 1972 911 S. Notable developments included the introduction of the lightweight Fuchs wheel, the Targa cabriolet model, mechanical fuel-injection and perhaps the most revered 911 of them all, the 210-hp 1973 2.7-liter Carrera RS.

With a total of 111,995 911 models sold in the first decade of production, the stage was set for the second-generation G models to take over the reins.

While outwardly similar in design, a trend that continues to this day, the G model was thoroughly redesigned and ushered in a range of technical improvements that allowed it to take on a new generation of sports cars, not least Porsche’s own 928 which was introduced to eventually replace the 911. Major milestones in the long-running G model’s lifecycle included the 1974 260-hp 930 Turbo, a supercar-rivaling machine, as well as the introduction of a proper Cabriolet to join the Coupe and Targa models.

Power outputs and engine capacities continued to increase for the standard models too and special editions like the Speedster and Club Sport added further appeal to the range. Built for 16 years right up until 1989, 198,496 G model variants were eventually built. They not only fought off the 928 but had become the benchmark by which most competitors measured themselves.

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