Targas have never been too appealing to me, but this one caught my eye. It is a 1967 911 Targa and it is claimed to still be wearing its original Bahama Yellow paint. The current owner inherited it from their father, but it went into storage twenty years ago when the timing chain broke. It is going to need some engine work, but everything else looks well preserved. It is located in Palo Alto, California and is listed here on eBay.

Porsche thought up the Targa in response to fears that the Government might ban convertibles. The top panel could be folded up and the rear window zipped down while the plate across the roof acted as a roll bar. This created a unique shape and still offered owners a convertible experience. Luckily the regulation never materialized, but Porsche continued to produce the car anyway.

Named for the famous Targa Florio road race, this example is a time capsule. Inside everything looks pristine and it is obvious that the seller’s father took good care of the car as he chocked up 158k miles. He had dreamed about purchasing the new convertible alternative and wanted one as soon as they were released. He couldn’t get a guarantee for one from the first production run at the local dealership, so he ordered one from a Dutch dealer. He had it shipped over and cared for it lovingly until his death.

After his son took over ownership, he had his mechanics go through everything. Sadly, they did not get the timing chain adjusted right and it broke causing the car to be parked and forgotten. It may have seemed like bad fortune then, but we are sure it will end up selling for a lot more today then it would have twenty years ago.

With a little work, this early Targa could be made into a great driver. We just hope that the next owner appreciates the originality of this 911 and has the know-how to keep it well preserved. Like we said before, we were never into Targas, but after taking a look at this one we are starting to like the idea of safe open-air motoring…