1973 Porsche 911 CARRERA RS 2.7
Offered from the Ted Gildred Collection
1973 Porsche 911 CARRERA RS 2.7
Chassis no. 9113601446
Engine no. 6631401 (see text)
2,687cc SOHC Flat 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
210bhp at 6,300rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes
*Beautifully restored example of the legendary '73 RS 2.7
*Presented in its factory delivered appearance
*One of the most iconic sports cars of all time
*Offered with Certificate of Authenticity
THE PORSCHE 911 CARRERA RS 2.7
If there is a single model of Porsche that exemplifies the true dual-use sports car - everything that the Stuttgart automaker stands for - it is the brilliantly-conceived 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Today the RS 2.7 sits atop the Porsche pedestal as the company's most-replicated design.
The RS (for Rennsport), was the fully street-able homologation series Porsche had to build in order to qualify its pure racing 2.8-liter 911 RSR for Group 5 competition. The FIA mandated that at least 500 examples of the RS were required, so Porsche went to work. Two versions were offered; both based on the 1973 911S 2.4 Coupe: the Lightweight/Sport option M471 was the racing-oriented basis for the RSR, while the Touring option, package M472, retained much of the interior trim and features of the standard car. Both differed visually from the 911S with rear quarter panels widened to accept seven-inch Fuchs alloy wheels, and a distinctive fiberglass front bumper with space to install an auxiliary oil radiator if desired. The rear bumper was steel on the Touring coupes, and fiberglass on the Lightweights. The engine covers were also fiberglass, reinforced with balsawood strips, and nearly all RS's sported the iconic "ducktail" spoiler that had been demonstrated in both wind-tunnel and track testing to greatly reduce rear end lift and thus improve stability at higher speeds. A small number of Touring versions were delivered without the rear spoiler, but most of those were subsequently retro-fitted by their owners. The Lightweight RS was fitted with thinner steel body panels, specially-made thinner window glass, and a stripped interior with racing bucket seats. Many examples were also fitted with alloy roll-over bars in anticipation of their owner's desire to enter competitions.
At the heart of the new RS was a new and much more powerful engine. The standard 190bhp 2.4 of the 911S was given larger cylinders with 90mm pistons, taking the displacement to a hair under 2.7 liters. The cylinder bores were coated with a new anti-friction material called Nikasil, which had been developed in Porsche's racing department to allow aluminum pistons and cylinders to co-exist. With a compression ratio of 8.5:1 and Bosch mechanical fuel injection, the new engine developed a lusty 210bhp at 6,300rpm along with 202 foot-pounds of torque at 5,100rpm. The RS retained Porsche's proven Type 915 five-speed manual transaxle and powerful four-wheel disc brakes. Up front, the fully independent suspension featured McPherson struts, longitudinal torsion bars, and an anti-roll bar. The independent rear suspension used trailing arms with transverse torsion bars, tubular shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. This impressive package provided the lucky owner with a car that offered brilliant acceleration (0-60 in 5.5 seconds) and a maximum velocity of 149mph with excellent stability and road behavior, numbers that are admirable today but were nothing short of amazing when the RS first appeared. Contemporary road testers raved over the car's performance.
As word of the new model emerged, orders began pouring in. The first production run of 500 units sold out before the car's formal unveiling at the 1972 Paris Auto Show. Porsche management quickly realized it had a winner on its hands and a second run of 500 cars was quickly approved at a higher price - those too were quickly snapped up. A third series of 500 even more costly cars got the green light; eventually a total of 1590 RS 2.7 Coupes were produced.
The 2.7 RS could be ordered in a variety of colors, but only those delivered in Grand Prix white left the factory with a choice of black, blue, red, or green "negative" graphics with wheel centers painted to match. Porsche wanted this new, very special 911 to be noticed - the Carrera stripes helped ensure that they were. The striping packages were available separately, and today almost all factory-built RS coupes (and literally thousands of RS clones around the world), no matter their color, proudly wear Carrera stripes, thus proving the foresight of Tony Lapine's Styling department.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Even with a considerably high production number for the legendary 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, it has become increasingly hard to locate examples with good provenance. The beautiful example offered here, chassis no. 9113601446, must be considered among the best examples of this iconic model.
Completed at Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory in June of 1973, chassis no. 9113601446 was among the final examples of the Carrera RS 2.7 produced. Built to the Touring code 472 specifications, 1446 was completed much as it appears today. The outside is finished in Grand Prix white with neatly contrasted red painted wheels and Carrera script. The interior is upholstered in black and outfitted with sports seats in leatherette around corduroy inserts.
1446 remained in Germany for several years, and later migrated over to Great Britain where it is believed to have been owned by Porsche enthusiast Ian Fitzmartin during the 1980s. Mr. Fitzmartin moved to California in 1990, but is believed to have left 1446 in the UK, where it is said to have received a restoration in the mid-1990s. Like many high-end collector cars, the white Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was sold to a Japanese collector in the late 1990's, and is believed to have remained there until 2003, when 1446 then came to the US. By 2005, 1446 was owned by a Mr. Pierre Ehert of Santa Rosa, California, from whom Ted Gildred purchased the Porsche that same year.
Today, 1446 presents very well, with remarkable fit and finish throughout. It should be noted, that a Porsche expert has expressed, that the engine number appears to have been re-stamped at some point. In the Gildred Collection for the past 14 years, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 has been serviced and detailed as needed and exercised on vintage car rallies such as the Copperstate 1000 and Going To The Sun Rally. The car is naturally listed in the well-known book on the model, Carrera RS by Dr. Thomas Gruber and Dr. Georg Konradsheim.
1446 is offered with a set of tools and the Porsche-issued Certificate of Authenticity. A very good example of the legendary, one-year-only Carrera RS 2.7, 1446 will serve as a cornerstone, and a go-to driver's car, in nearly any collection.
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Offered from the Ted Gildred Collection
1973 Porsche 911 CARRERA RS 2.7
Chassis no. 9113601446
Engine no. 6631401 (see text)
2,687cc SOHC Flat 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
210bhp at 6,300rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes
*Beautifully restored example of the legendary '73 RS 2.7
*Presented in its factory delivered appearance
*One of the most iconic sports cars of all time
*Offered with Certificate of Authenticity
THE PORSCHE 911 CARRERA RS 2.7
If there is a single model of Porsche that exemplifies the true dual-use sports car - everything that the Stuttgart automaker stands for - it is the brilliantly-conceived 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Today the RS 2.7 sits atop the Porsche pedestal as the company's most-replicated design.
The RS (for Rennsport), was the fully street-able homologation series Porsche had to build in order to qualify its pure racing 2.8-liter 911 RSR for Group 5 competition. The FIA mandated that at least 500 examples of the RS were required, so Porsche went to work. Two versions were offered; both based on the 1973 911S 2.4 Coupe: the Lightweight/Sport option M471 was the racing-oriented basis for the RSR, while the Touring option, package M472, retained much of the interior trim and features of the standard car. Both differed visually from the 911S with rear quarter panels widened to accept seven-inch Fuchs alloy wheels, and a distinctive fiberglass front bumper with space to install an auxiliary oil radiator if desired. The rear bumper was steel on the Touring coupes, and fiberglass on the Lightweights. The engine covers were also fiberglass, reinforced with balsawood strips, and nearly all RS's sported the iconic "ducktail" spoiler that had been demonstrated in both wind-tunnel and track testing to greatly reduce rear end lift and thus improve stability at higher speeds. A small number of Touring versions were delivered without the rear spoiler, but most of those were subsequently retro-fitted by their owners. The Lightweight RS was fitted with thinner steel body panels, specially-made thinner window glass, and a stripped interior with racing bucket seats. Many examples were also fitted with alloy roll-over bars in anticipation of their owner's desire to enter competitions.
At the heart of the new RS was a new and much more powerful engine. The standard 190bhp 2.4 of the 911S was given larger cylinders with 90mm pistons, taking the displacement to a hair under 2.7 liters. The cylinder bores were coated with a new anti-friction material called Nikasil, which had been developed in Porsche's racing department to allow aluminum pistons and cylinders to co-exist. With a compression ratio of 8.5:1 and Bosch mechanical fuel injection, the new engine developed a lusty 210bhp at 6,300rpm along with 202 foot-pounds of torque at 5,100rpm. The RS retained Porsche's proven Type 915 five-speed manual transaxle and powerful four-wheel disc brakes. Up front, the fully independent suspension featured McPherson struts, longitudinal torsion bars, and an anti-roll bar. The independent rear suspension used trailing arms with transverse torsion bars, tubular shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. This impressive package provided the lucky owner with a car that offered brilliant acceleration (0-60 in 5.5 seconds) and a maximum velocity of 149mph with excellent stability and road behavior, numbers that are admirable today but were nothing short of amazing when the RS first appeared. Contemporary road testers raved over the car's performance.
As word of the new model emerged, orders began pouring in. The first production run of 500 units sold out before the car's formal unveiling at the 1972 Paris Auto Show. Porsche management quickly realized it had a winner on its hands and a second run of 500 cars was quickly approved at a higher price - those too were quickly snapped up. A third series of 500 even more costly cars got the green light; eventually a total of 1590 RS 2.7 Coupes were produced.
The 2.7 RS could be ordered in a variety of colors, but only those delivered in Grand Prix white left the factory with a choice of black, blue, red, or green "negative" graphics with wheel centers painted to match. Porsche wanted this new, very special 911 to be noticed - the Carrera stripes helped ensure that they were. The striping packages were available separately, and today almost all factory-built RS coupes (and literally thousands of RS clones around the world), no matter their color, proudly wear Carrera stripes, thus proving the foresight of Tony Lapine's Styling department.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Even with a considerably high production number for the legendary 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, it has become increasingly hard to locate examples with good provenance. The beautiful example offered here, chassis no. 9113601446, must be considered among the best examples of this iconic model.
Completed at Porsche's Zuffenhausen factory in June of 1973, chassis no. 9113601446 was among the final examples of the Carrera RS 2.7 produced. Built to the Touring code 472 specifications, 1446 was completed much as it appears today. The outside is finished in Grand Prix white with neatly contrasted red painted wheels and Carrera script. The interior is upholstered in black and outfitted with sports seats in leatherette around corduroy inserts.
1446 remained in Germany for several years, and later migrated over to Great Britain where it is believed to have been owned by Porsche enthusiast Ian Fitzmartin during the 1980s. Mr. Fitzmartin moved to California in 1990, but is believed to have left 1446 in the UK, where it is said to have received a restoration in the mid-1990s. Like many high-end collector cars, the white Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was sold to a Japanese collector in the late 1990's, and is believed to have remained there until 2003, when 1446 then came to the US. By 2005, 1446 was owned by a Mr. Pierre Ehert of Santa Rosa, California, from whom Ted Gildred purchased the Porsche that same year.
Today, 1446 presents very well, with remarkable fit and finish throughout. It should be noted, that a Porsche expert has expressed, that the engine number appears to have been re-stamped at some point. In the Gildred Collection for the past 14 years, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 has been serviced and detailed as needed and exercised on vintage car rallies such as the Copperstate 1000 and Going To The Sun Rally. The car is naturally listed in the well-known book on the model, Carrera RS by Dr. Thomas Gruber and Dr. Georg Konradsheim.
1446 is offered with a set of tools and the Porsche-issued Certificate of Authenticity. A very good example of the legendary, one-year-only Carrera RS 2.7, 1446 will serve as a cornerstone, and a go-to driver's car, in nearly any collection.
Sale price
Time, Location
Auction House
