Good friend Justin just sent me this interesting slide from Australia, showing the first RHD Porsche 911 Targa being produced. Here’s the story behind it:
“I found a whole lot of my late father’s slides that I had digitally scanned a few years ago. This one is the first RHD targa going down the production line in September 1972.
“As my father told it, we were on the factory tour and the tour guide was talking about Targas. Knowing there were some English and Australians on the tour, it was mentioned that there were no RHD 911 Targas until the following year (i.e. 1973).
“You were still able to take your camera back then and Dad saw a Targa shell being rolled towards us that looked somehow different: initially, he wasn’t sure how. He took a shot of it quickly and then walked past it. On the build sheet of the car, he saw erste rechts (1st right), so we can assume it was the first production RHD Targa for the 73MY. It was mid-September 1972 my parents tell me.
“The tour guide realised and, rather than seizing Dad’s camera, asked him not to do anything with the picture until after the official embargo (which was early 1973). I assume the car was being shown somewhere – Earl’s Court , Birmingham, South Africa, Hong Kong? Dad complied with Porsche’s request, which was perfectly reasonable. I wonder where the car is now – or if indeed it still survives?
“As a side note, there are 2 73S Targas (both RHD, and both English) awaiting restorations in Sydney (where my green L was done) – one Sepia, and the other Signal Yellow. They’ll be done in about two years.”
Love getting presents from overseas and this was a really good one! Thanks, Justin 😉
That could be John Penfold’s car, see his comment below. If it is the car was only sold by him 2 years ago and had never been restored and looked like new & still running the original clutch. It sold and stayed in Melbourne Australia.
Pretty interesting stuff, it may well be the car, I changed the colour during the order process and took delivery early Feb 73 from factory. Alan Hamilton sent me a Christmas card congratulating me on the purchase of the first 911 Targa ordered for Australia.
Warm Regards
John Penfold | National Sales Manager
This is an interesting photo for me since I ordered the first RHD Porsche 911 E Targa for tourist delivery to Austarlia. The car was ordered through Hamiltons in Melbourne, Australia. I still have the Christmas card from Alan Hamilton who was a mate of mine congratulating me on being the first to purchase one. The origional order was for a Sepia brown car but soon after arriving in Europe I saw a Ice Green Metallic 911 parked in snow under lights in Dusselldorf and quicly rang the factory and managed to change the colour prior to production. I sold the car last year after 40 years of ownership with 95,000 trouble free miles on clock to the second custodian who also a collector.The car was totally origional and in show condition like the day I bought it, memories that last forever !