Description
Car and Driver famously stated “The 911 is the best Porsche ever – all the vices of the old suspension have been eliminated, and the modern offbeat styling should have a much broader appeal than the old bathtub shape. The overhead-cam, air-cooled flat 6-cylinder engine, the 5-speed all-synchro transmission, and the 4-wheel disc brakes are irresistible to anybody who ever felt a flicker of desire for any Porsche in the past.”
The first of countless upgrades to the perennial 911 came in 1966, two years after production had commenced, with the introduction of the 911S. Easily distinguishable by its stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels, the ‘S’ featured a heavily revised engine producing 160bhp. In 1967 the 911T (Touring) was introduced as a new base model, initially with the 2.0-litre engine in 110bhp form before gaining the 2.2-litre unit along with the rest of the range in 1969, by which time the 911’s wheelbase had been extended by 57mm to tame the sometimes wayward handling. Such was the 911’s success that within a few years Porsche was selling cars faster than it could build them, a state of affairs that led to a substantial proportion being manufactured by coachbuilder Karmann at its Osnabrück factory.
This lovely 1969 2.2E comes in the sought after ‘Bahama Yellow’ paintwork with the ‘sportomatic’ transmission. This rare feature allowed a clutchless transmission, eliminating expensive clutch issues whilst maintaining the driving experience of a manual using a ‘H’ shaped box. This rare combination was produced in limited numbers from 1968 to 1980.
