LOT 138

1968 Porsche 912 'SWB' 'Soft-Window' Targa Chassis no. 12871005 Engine no. 1284723

Sold for €51,750 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve

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Lot 138

Desirable Irish Green from new
1968 Porsche 912 'SWB' 'Soft-Window' Targa

The Autoworld Sale|13 May 2023, 14:00 CEST|Brussels, Autoworld

1968 Porsche 912 'SWB' 'Soft-Window' Targa
Chassis no. 12871005
Engine no. 1284723

• Rare and desirable 912 Soft-Window Targa
• Matching numbers chassis and engine
• Original and desirable colour scheme of Irish Green with black interior
• Long-term private ownership (1980-2014)
• Extensive professional restoration
• Engine rebuilt in 2018 (invoices on file)

Footnotes

A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, Porsche's long-running 911 arrived in 1964, replacing the 356 and providing the Stuttgart manufacturer with a product worthy of comparison with the finest sports cars from Britain and Italy. The 356's rear-engined layout was retained, but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, the 911's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat-six engine displaced 1,991cc.
Although widely acclaimed, the 911 was necessarily expensive, a shortcoming that Porsche addressed by offering the 912 which, though outwardly identical, was powered by the 356's 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. As installed in the 912 the latter produced 90bhp, some 40 horsepower less than the 911's six, but this deficit was offset by significantly reduced weight, resulting in a better balanced car with greatly improved road manners. The 911 gearbox was used, offering a choice of four or five speeds. Despite being down on power, the 912 had a respectable top speed of 191km/h. A little over 30,000 were built (all on the original short-wheelbase chassis) between 1965 and 1968, production being shared by Porsche and Karmann. Today the 912 is a relative rarity when compared with its better known 911 sibling, especially in Targa form, as seen here.

This late example was delivered new to Ohio, USA in the summer of 1968 and seems to have stayed there until the beginning of the 1970s. In the file we find a 912 service manual sold to 'Bruce' in 1975; evidently this is Mr William Bruce, who registered the car in Florida in 1980 and kept it until at least 2014.
The Porsche subsequently returned to Europe and was treated to a 'body-off' restoration in Germany, which included changing the VDO speedometer from mph to km/h. The current owner purchased the car in 2016, following its complete restoration. There are numerous invoices on file for work carried out during the current owner's possession, including one for €15,000 relating to an engine rebuild in 2018. Since then the Porsche has been used for numerous rallies abroad.
Ready to enjoy this summer, the car is offered with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity; current owner's purchase invoice; Belgian registration documents; Porsche pouch with books including the stamped service book (rare!); State of Florida title dated 1986; old US invoices from the 1970s and '80s; and a report valuing it at €85,000 in 2016 (confirming the car is in excellent condition after its full restoration).

Additional information

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