Were it not for a discussion between father and son, the 911 would have been a notchback rather than a fastback. When it was time to innovate away from the 356, Porsche assigned the design duties to Butzi Porsche, son of Ferry. Butzi’s first sketches showed a car referred to as the T7, with a distinct trunk line reminiscent of the rare 356 notchback. Father Ferry would not approve anything other than a fastback, however, so back to the drawing board Butzi went. The final result is the car we are so familiar with today – less lovely than competent, a true driver’s car. Here on eBay is a 1977 Porsche 911S Targa bid to $37,100 with no reserve and located in Huntley, Illinois. The car is described as a “no issues” example with an odometer reading of just under 68,000 miles represented as original.

Starting in 1974, the 911’s time-tested air-cooled flat-six gained in displacement to 2.7 liters, a considerable jump from the 2.3 just a year earlier. Of course, the 2.7 wasn’t brand new: Porsche had in fact produced a 2.7-liter in 1972, to power the heroic Carrera RS. But that motor was tuned within an inch of its life whereas this is the road-going version. In “S” form, the fuel-injected motor generates 175 hp. This being Mid Malaise Era, Porsche needed to solve the emission question. Its technique included installing “thermal reactors ” bolted to the cylinder head to raise the heat of the engine and burn polluting gases. This “solution” led to the demise of more than one 2.7 engine, pinching the supply of factory-configured examples. This car is outfitted with a five-speed manual transaxle. The seller indicates his 911 has seen regular maintenance and has always been garaged.

Driving a 911 is a thoroughly engaging experience. The cars are fairly lightweight, delivering substantial horsepower right through your seat and back, seemingly flowing out from your hands… it’s really not quite like anything else. Pre-’87 cars utilize the 915 gearbox, which wants coaxing to perform at its best; G50 gearbox transplants are somewhat common, though I prefer to struggle with the older ‘box to match the model year. This example’s interior is quite respectable – but its no-nonsense design reinforces the focus on performance rather than style, just like the exterior.

This car’s underside gives us nothing to complain about. After 1975, Porsche dipped its 911s in a rust-preventing zinc solution – a plus for the restorer. On the other hand, these mid-70s cars also received the Ugly Bumper Treatment, courtesy of US regulations. With bumper height increased, heavy rubber bellows covering the front corners, and over riders on the rear, the car lost its girlish figure. In fact, mid-70s 911s have been stepchildren in the value equation for a while and so have Targas, with collectors preferring either earlier or later coupes. But as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats, and so it is with even these less stunning 911s: the going price for a nice 911S Targa has managed to climb from the $40k area in 2021 to around $60k these days. Unless there’s something wrong with our profiled car, it’s underbid for the time being.