The Ultimate Porsche 911 S 2.4 Targa

by TGR Staff | Photos by RM Sothebys 11/29/2022

Celebrating 50 years of Porsche Design requires something very special, so the team at Porsche Classic restored this 911 S 2.4 Targa from 1972, the year that Porsche Design was founded. A tribute to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the one-of-a-kind vehicle features the same colors as the legendary Chronograph I watch that he designed in 1972. 

Ferdinand Alexander the oldest son of Ferry Porsche, spent two semesters at the Ulm School of Design before leaving to work on body styling at Porsche, in the department that created the Porsche 901 towards the end of the 1950s. The vehicle was unveiled in 1963 and became the design icon known as the 911. In 1972, Ferdinand Alexander and his brother Hans-Peter founded the Porsche Design Studio, an independent product design studio. Over the past 50 years, the studio has evolved into the exclusive Porsche Design lifestyle brand, and it now showcases the legacy and philosophy of Professor F.A. Porsche in a variety of product categories.

"Our general philosophy in a factory restoration project is to restore the vehicles to be as faithful to the original as possible," explains Uwe Makrutzki, Head of Porsche Classic Factory Restoration at Porsche AG. "We deliberately took a different approach with this project. We've created a unique vehicle that blends tradition and present-day and bears the signature of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche."

The restored 911 is painted in solid black, the preferred color of F.A. Porsche, and features anodized Fuchs rims. Classic lateral stripes with a Platinum satin finish and integrated Porsche Design lettering decorate the flanks.  Like the special edition model, the grille on the engine cover at the rear features a “Porsche Design 50th Anniversary” badge with a reproduction of Ferdinand Alexander's signature. 

The interior is also dominated by the color black, just as the professor would have liked it. t is thought that this move was prompted by F.A. Porsche at some point before 1972, while he was still the design director. The Porsche Design Chronograph I watch that he designed and presented in the same year was the first watch with a black case and black dial, which was innovative for watch design at the time.

The interior of the unique restoration vehicle features a checked pattern that contrasts with the black leather upholstery and forges a link with the modern special edition model. The checkered Sport-Tex fabric features the classic Black and Cool Grey combination and can be found throughout the interior on elements such as the door trims, the central section of the seats, and the lower section of the dashboard. There is a “Porsche Design 50th Anniversary” badge on the passenger side, and the same logo also decorates the vehicle document folder and tool bag. Completing the factory restoration project is a presentation box containing detailed vehicle documentation, a key pouch (original property of F. A. Porsche), and a model of the restored vehicle.

The classic 911 T 2.4 Targa was in a poor condition, missing some parts, and in need of a full restoration. The Porsche Classic experts completely stripped the chassis and upgraded all specifications to the S version. Back in 1972, the S was the top-of-the-range model with a displacement of 2,341 cubic centimeters, which generated 190 PS at 6,500 rpm, and it was equipped with mechanical fuel injection.

Included with the car is a limited edition version of the watch that inspired it, this one-of-a-kind collector car is being auctioned by RM Sotheby's at their New York Auction this week. See more HERE.