Targa temptress
From the earliest iteration of the 911 Targa to the latest in the new 911 Targa 4 GTS, this is the signature car of the 911 range.
D
ecades ago, at the 1965 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, the very first 911 Targa revealed a new style of sports car to the world – one that was neither a coupé nor a cabriolet, but something new to tempt the senses. Driving in the open air is an indescribable feeling, but it comes with complications, especially in the 1960s when safety features were less prominent. The 1960s 911 Targa was thus a huge step forward, adding safety without taking away the open-air experience. The Targa concept was the start of a totally different kind of Porsche driving experience that would feature in all future 911 generations, as well as in other cars such as the 914 and Carrera GT. By August 1965, Porsche had applied for a patent for the Targa. Then, from Autumn 1966, the Targa roof was out on the roads. From 1967, Targa models could be ordered with a fixed and heated rear safety glass window in place of the original fold-down plastic rear window. This became standard a year later, remaining until 1993.
Targa tops remained a fixture in the second 911 generation built in 1973. The 911 body was modified for the first time, most obviously with the new box-shaped bumpers with black bellows on the side, designed to absorb impacts up to 8 km/h. All Targa roll bars had been brushed stainless steel to this point, but were now also offered in black. By 1988, Porsche had introduced its first all-wheel drive, the 911 Carrera 4 Type 964. While the car retained the 911’s classic body shape, mechanically it was all new. Just a year later, a rear-wheel drive became available – the 911 Carrera 2. Both the Carrera 2 Targa and Carrera 4 Targa, built until 1993, kept the classic Targa roll bar and removable roof centre section. A total of 87,663 Targa models were built in the first three 911 generations. The fourth-generation 911 Type 993 came in 1993 with a new body, followed by a new Targa concept from November 1995. The 993 took the Targa idea in a different direction, omitting the roll bar.
20
