Lot details Registration No: DWV911L Chassis No: 9113601101 Mot Expiry: Nov 2010
"The 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 is the most desirable collector's car of all. And, in terms of driving pleasure, the best 911 of all time." - Paul Frere, Le Mans victor and Grand Prix driver
Having competed successfully with the 356, Porsche was destined to do the same with the 911 and laurels in both racing and rallying came quickly and easily from 1965 through to 1971. By then, development had slowed, as the model was considered near the end of its lifespan and a replacement was already on the stocks. Small wonder then that by 1972 911s were coming under increasing pressure on the track from such more humble metal as Ford Capris and BMW Coupes. Something had to be done and two unconnected occurrences helped determine the way forward.
Firstly, the model's proposed replacement was unexpectedly axed. Secondly, the FIA (the governing body of world motorsport) decided to limit the capacity of prototype sports racers to 3-litres from 1972 - overnight the company's all-conquering 4.5-5.0-litre 917 racer became redundant in Europe. Clearly, the 911 would have to be rejuvenated, and fast.
Due to its relatively modest internal dimensions it would not qualify for Group 2 (touring cars). That left the option of Group 4 (special GT) or Group 3 (production GT) - the former required a homologation run of 500 cars; the latter one of 1,000 cars. The marketing men doubted the ability to sell even 500 road-going racers so it was decided to opt for Group 4 and do everything possible to aid the necessary sales to the enthusiast public.
The `homologation special' was to be based on the 2.4 S. The first task was to increase the engine displacement. Using a `Nikasil' coating similar to that employed on the flat-12 917 racing unit, Porsche was able to increase the diameter of the cylinder bores and thereby raised the overall capacity to 2,697cc. This resulted in a hike of 30bhp to 210 and of 39 Nm of torque to 255. Equally important to gaining power was shedding weight and this was achieved everywhere possible. Lighter, stiffer Bilstein dampers were installed and the front subframe was produced of forged aluminium rather than the steel of the production 2.4 S. In order to counter the 911's inherent oversteer the rear wheels were made wider than the front (7in rear/6in front). Aluminium callipers were adopted for the front brakes.
Thinner gauge metal (0.8mm as opposed to 0.88mm) was used for the roof and door panels, boot lid and floor, door sills, rear seat panel, upper and lower dashboard sections and wings. Fibreglass was employed for the front and rear bumpers (only front on the Touring models) and the ducktail rear spoiler. Again in the interest of weight saving, the inner door-pull handles were `borrowed' from the Fiat 600 and linked to simple leather straps, while the rubber floor mats were originated from aeroplane stairs. Thinner glass by Belgian manufacturer Glaverbel was used for the windscreen and rear side windows. Undercoating was minimised.
Though the chosen wheel rim widths didn't technically require wider rear arches, they were fitted in order to accommodate those planned for racing - 9in front and 11in rear. High speed lift had always been a feature of the 911 and it was time to tackle the problem in earnest. A range of front and rear spoilers were tested for aerodynamic effect and general road safety until the final chin and now famous ducktail rear wing were evolved.
The finished product - dubbed the Carrera RS 2.7 - was unveiled at the Paris motorshow of September 1972. Contrary to the marketing department's gloomy forecasts, the allocation of 500 homologation cars required to allow racing in Group 4 was already sold out! The media raved about the car with such headlines as `Germany's fastest production car' and `The most powerful production Porsche of all time'.
It was obvious for all to see that Porsche had created something very special and in order to satisfy the unexpected demand and simultaneously homologate the car for Group 3, another 500 cars were laid down. In the end a further batch of 580 cars were constructed, making 1580 all told. The cars built after the homologation requirements had been met were a little heavier than the first 1,000, however - with the requirement for optimum lightness gone, the factory understandably adopted standard production parts wherever possible, in order to save time and cost.
In fact, the whole production process become simpler overnight, as no longer did the cars have to be built to minimum specification (RSH where H stood for homologation), driven to the Stuttgart city weighbridge to have their weight officially recorded, then returned to the factory to go back down the line and be completed to whatever specification had been ordered (RS -ie M471 Sport; RSL - ie M472 Touring; or RSR - the race version with 2808cc engine). In the case of the lightweights this might simply mean the addition of a Limited Slip Differential. In the case of the more luxurious Touring version, it meant the installation of such items as occasional rear seats, roof lining, door trims and carpets etc, as well as any chosen optional extras.
The incredibly successful history of the Carrera RS is far too long to chronicle here. Suffice it to say that it won the Daytona 24 hours even before it was homologated. A few weeks later it was victorious in the Sebring 12 hours and later in 1973 won the Targa Florio. Porsche finished the year as joint European GT Champions with a host of other race and rally victories to its name. The dye was cast.
Of the 1580 2.7 RSs made, 1308 were Touring (M472) versions and 200 were of the lightweight Sport (M471) variety. Only 117 examples were made in righthand drive form, just 17 of which were Sports, making them very rare indeed. The righthand drive car offered is chassis No. 9113601101, which left the factory in April 1973 and was first registered the following month to Shaun Jackson. It was finished in Tangerine - the fifth most popular of the 28 standard colour options - and was a standard Sport model apart from the addition of a limited slip differential and driver's door mirror.
The history file records that Jackson only kept the car for five months, with Brian Evans acquiring it in August 1973. It is understood he had the engine increased to 2.8-litres and the car prepared for international rallies. The Ulster Automobile Club apparently confirms the following results:
1975
Circuit of Ireland - 3rd overall/2nd in class
Galway Rally - 5th overall
1976
Circuit of Ireland - 5th overall/3rd in class
During 1976 the RS passed into the hands of Chris Morris who used it for some years before it was involved in a road accident. Marque specialists Autofarm purchased it in crashed form in 1982, restoring it for the fourth owner, Ronald Horsey, the following year - at this point the car was refinished in Grand Prix white. Five years later, Autofarm once more acquired the car and carried out a bare metal respray to the original colour of Tangerine. The RS was also treated to a thorough mechanical overhaul prior to its sale to the vendor in March 1989. The history file shows it was then attended to by marque specialist Neil Bainbridge on several occasions who, among other things, refurbished the gearbox, injection pump and throttle bodies. At some stage a clock, passenger sunvisor and glovebox lid were added to the otherwise deliberately spartan specification. A dyno test by Bob Watson Engineering in late 2004 apparently showed the engine to be producing a healthy 230.4bhp and 281 Nm of torque at 5,270rpm.
The Carrera 2.7 RS has long been regarded as one of the great cars of all time and, by some, the greatest of all road-going Porsches to date. Their competition achievements speak for themselves, while their on-road performance remains unique and special to this day. Even the extraordinary (for the period) 0-60mph acceleration time of circa 5.5 seconds and mean top speed of around 150mph give little clue to the excitement these cars can engender. By paring the weight down to 975kg in the case of the Sport (1075kg for the Touring) Porsche managed to make the standard 210bhp go a very long way and the responsiveness of both the engine and chassis are a joy to experience.
Even some of the many 2.7 RS clones fetch good money these days, but the value of the few genuine righthand drive lightweights has understandably been on the rise for many years now and shows no sign of tailing off yet awhile. `DWV 911L' therefore provides an increasingly rare opportunity to acquire one of these truly iconic machines.
PLEASE NOTE: The MOT for this vehicle expires on 29/11/10
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