Model Focus: Owning a Porsche 911 2.7 (1974-1978)

History 

In contrast to the American norm where the big three car makers would restyle their ranges every couple of years, the Porsche 911 remained essentially the same for most of its first decade. There were minor visual changes – chrome disappeared gradually, the wheelbase was lengthened by two inches or so and wheels became wider as tyre technology developed.

But then the 911 found itself heading for choppy waters. Ralph Nader’s zealous, technically under-researched diatribe against the Chevrolet Corvair, Unsafe at any Speed seemed to doom all rear-engine cars. This was followed by the first exhaust emission control regulations, initially in California, but soon encompassing all states. High performance cars that derived their horsepower from generous quantities of gasoline (and emitted equally generous quantities of unburnt hydrocarbons) were clearly under threat.