The 1972 World Sportscar Championship season marked the end of the Porsche 917’s dominance after FIA regulation changes forced the company to shift its racing program to the production-based 2.4-liter 911S. The result was the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, a homologation model whose “RS” badge stood for Rennsport (“racing sport”).
Built with weight reduction as the priority, the Carrera RS featured thinner-gauge steel body panels, fiberglass bumpers, thinner glass, lightweight bucket seats, simplified interior trim, and fabric door pulls instead of conventional handles. The 911S’s air-cooled flat-six was enlarged to 2.7 liters and fitted with mechanical fuel injection, producing 210 horsepower. Wider rear wheels, revised suspension, and the wind tunnel-developed “ducktail” rear spoiler improved handling and high-speed stability while defining the model’s appearance.
To meet FIA homologation requirements, Porsche needed to build 500 examples. Initial concerns over demand quickly disappeared, with more than 50 orders reportedly placed on the first day of its debut at the 1972 Paris Motor Show. Production ultimately reached 1,590 units between 1973 and 1974, including just 200 M471 Lightweight models and the better-equipped M472 Touring version.
Among those highly coveted 200 M471 Lightweight models is this remarkable 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, now offered for sale on Bring a Trailer. Showing only 15,984 kilometers (9,932 miles), the car represents one of the rarest and most desirable air-cooled Porsches ever produced. According to the Porsche Registry and marque historians, chassis 9113600545 was completed in February 1973 before being delivered new to Autogerma Connection in Verona, Italy.
The Carrera made its journey to the United States in 1986 after being acquired by John G. Holk, founder, publisher, and CEO of the Porsche Market Letter. Over the following decades, it passed through several prestigious collections across the U.S. and Europe before receiving a meticulous restoration by renowned Porsche specialist Early 911S in Wuppertal, Germany, between September 2017 and December 2020. Upon completion, the car joined the esteemed Dana Mecum Collection.
Power comes from its numbers-matching 2.7-liter mechanically fuel-injected flat-six producing 210 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual transaxle driving the rear wheels. Finished in striking Blood Orange with black Carrera side graphics over a black cloth interior, the car perfectly captures the purposeful character of Porsche’s lightweight homologation special.
Additional equipment includes ventilated four-wheel disc brakes, MacPherson-strut front suspension, rear torsion bars, lightweight bucket seats, minimalist door panels and floor coverings, an aluminum engine lid, Glaverbel safety glass, and iconic silver Fuchs alloy wheels. With only 200 M471 Lightweight examples produced, this Carrera RS 2.7 ranks among the rarest and most collectible air-cooled Porsches.
Source: Bring a Trailer
