Early Years of the Iconic Porsche 911

A member of the Central Oregon Builders Association, Alan Aronson guides AllyBrooke Custom Homes and provides an exceptional combination of value and quality craftsmanship. An automobile enthusiast, Alan Aronson maintains a focus on Porsche models and owns a 2015 911 C4S.

The lineage of the 911 extends to 1963, when founder Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche designed what was intended to be launched as a 901. With Peugeot having already staked a claim on any three-digit model name that had a zero in the middle, Porsche went for the next best alternative, 911.

The initial version of the 911 was one that featured a rear-mounted, air-cooled 2.0-liter flat six engine. The compact design proved enduring, as it remained in production essentially intact until 1993. Over the course of the decades one thing that did change was engine capacity, with the 1983 Carrera introducing a 3.2 liter engine.

Another innovation was the iconic Targa, which was designed in 1967 as a semi-convertible with removable roof section. With a name taken from the Targa Florio course where Porsche had had racing triumphs, the design was based on erroneous information that the US would soon make convertibles illegal. With a unique full-width roll bar placed behind the two seats, the Targa proved an enduring favorite, and it was not until 1983 that a full convertible 911 was produced.