1988 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2-Litre Targa Sport Coupé, Registration no. E52 MLC Chassis no. WP0ZZZ91ZJS140504
* Last of the old-school Porsche 911s
* Present ownership since 2004
* Circa 115,000 miles recorded
* Getrag G50 gearbox
Two years after the original coupé's introduction in 1964, a convertible 911 - the 'Targa', named in honour of Porsche's numerous victories in the Sicilian classic - became available. Expected US safety legislation had prompted an ingenious approach to the first soft-top 911, the Targa sporting a hefty roll-over bar to protect the occupants in the event of an inversion, together with removable roof and rear hood sections, which were stowable in the boot. An enormous success for the Stuttgart firm, the much loved and instantly recognisable Targa finally bowed out at the end of the 1990s, when the Cabriolet became the sole open-topped 911 with the introduction of the Type 996 range for 1999.
Targa development proceeded in line with that of its closed coupé cousin, the most notable advances immediately prior to the manufacture of this 1988 model having included the introduction of the 3.2-litre engine for 1984. Although it remained an air-cooled 'flat six', the '3.2' was 80% new and incorporated an effective cam chain tensioner and associated lubrication system that at last addressed a perennial 911 shortcoming. With 231bhp on tap, the new 'boxer' motor endowed the Carrera with a level of performance approaching that of the original 911 Turbo of 1974, the bald statistics being a 0-60mph time of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.
Dating from 1988, this right-hand drive example exemplifies the original 911 concept in its final form, the subsequent Carrera 2/Carrera 4 Type 964 models – introduced during 1989 - being almost entirely new. A manual transmission model, it has the later Getrag G50 five-speed gearbox, which replaced the sometimes-fragile Porsche Type 915 unit for 1987. Being the desirable Sport variant, it has the upgraded shock absorbers and aerodynamic spoilers front and rear.
'E52 MLC' was acquired by the private vendor in 2004 and is described by him as in generally good condition. Currently displaying a total of circa 115,000 miles on the odometer, this most desirable 'soft-top' Porsche is offered with current MoT, a V5C Registration Certificate, and a history file containing details of previous owners.
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* Last of the old-school Porsche 911s
* Present ownership since 2004
* Circa 115,000 miles recorded
* Getrag G50 gearbox
Two years after the original coupé's introduction in 1964, a convertible 911 - the 'Targa', named in honour of Porsche's numerous victories in the Sicilian classic - became available. Expected US safety legislation had prompted an ingenious approach to the first soft-top 911, the Targa sporting a hefty roll-over bar to protect the occupants in the event of an inversion, together with removable roof and rear hood sections, which were stowable in the boot. An enormous success for the Stuttgart firm, the much loved and instantly recognisable Targa finally bowed out at the end of the 1990s, when the Cabriolet became the sole open-topped 911 with the introduction of the Type 996 range for 1999.
Targa development proceeded in line with that of its closed coupé cousin, the most notable advances immediately prior to the manufacture of this 1988 model having included the introduction of the 3.2-litre engine for 1984. Although it remained an air-cooled 'flat six', the '3.2' was 80% new and incorporated an effective cam chain tensioner and associated lubrication system that at last addressed a perennial 911 shortcoming. With 231bhp on tap, the new 'boxer' motor endowed the Carrera with a level of performance approaching that of the original 911 Turbo of 1974, the bald statistics being a 0-60mph time of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 152mph.
Dating from 1988, this right-hand drive example exemplifies the original 911 concept in its final form, the subsequent Carrera 2/Carrera 4 Type 964 models – introduced during 1989 - being almost entirely new. A manual transmission model, it has the later Getrag G50 five-speed gearbox, which replaced the sometimes-fragile Porsche Type 915 unit for 1987. Being the desirable Sport variant, it has the upgraded shock absorbers and aerodynamic spoilers front and rear.
'E52 MLC' was acquired by the private vendor in 2004 and is described by him as in generally good condition. Currently displaying a total of circa 115,000 miles on the odometer, this most desirable 'soft-top' Porsche is offered with current MoT, a V5C Registration Certificate, and a history file containing details of previous owners.
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