FOR SALE: 1971 Porsche 911 S/T Coupe

2,247cc SOHC Flat 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
230bhp at 7,800rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle with LSD
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*As delivered in Conda Green over black leatherette
*Delivered new to dealer team MAHAG München
*1st Overall in the 1972 DARM Jochen Rindt Trophy at Hockenheim
*Detailed provenance compiled by Thomas Skogli
*Retains original engine, uprated to 2.3-liter Group 4 specification
*Factory M471 ‘Sport Equipment’ lightweight body
*Factory lightweight glass, 100L fuel tank, and roll bar
*Believed to be one of seven built in 1971
*Offered from a prominent UK-based Porsche collection

THE PORSCHE 911 S/T

Porsche and Motorsports are about as synonymous a pairing as it gets. From the earliest days of the marque, the Stuttgart squad fielded works racing cars while providing fervent support to privateers covering everything from grassroots club racing to Le Mans.

With the introduction of the 911 in 1965, private teams had a versatile weapon available to them for rallying, circuit racing, and hill climbing, and Porsche actively encouraged its clients to take its cars racing. To encourage grids packed with Porsche cars, the factory racing department at Weissach produced a workshop manual of sorts to guide privateers in their quest to build the perfect racing or rallying 911. Titled “Information Regarding Porsche Vehicles Used for Sports Purposes,” it included guidelines for the myriad special parts available to take your road-going 911 from the street to the special stage or the Nürburgring. An accompanying parts manual (treated as a Holy Text by Porschephiles) listed option codes and part numbers for the various packages.

Setting the stage for the iconic ’73 RS 2.7 was the 1970-1972 911 S/T (sometimes “S-T” or just “ST”), which was a loosely applied moniker suggesting the 911 S drivetrain mated with the lighter, base-model 911 T body. According to Porsche racer Jürgen Barth, S/T is a retronym, and not an officially catalogued model. Instead, an S/T is more of an amalgamation of Sports Purposes options and components as ordered by the individual buyer. Specifications vary from car to car, ranging from mild to spicy, with rally cars typically getting milder engines for durability and strength, and track cars going full out with lightweight bodywork and potent fuel-injected engines.

While exact production figures are not entirely known, some experts believe the number is around 62 cars built for works and privateer teams to varying specifications, far fewer than the RS that succeeded it. The 911 S/T was a stalwart of the Group 4 motorsports scene in the early 70s, with numerous works and privateer cars chalking up wins on the race and rally circuits. The wide flares and minimalist character of the S/T has inspired an entire subculture of 911 enthusiasts (the influential R Gruppe being the most notable) and countless recreations from such highly regarded firms as Singer and Tuthill, and the cars count among the most coveted and collectible of all classic 911s.

THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis number 911.130.1251 is one of the approximately 62 S/T models produced and is said to be one of about 7 cars built in 1971. Accompanying production records and a history report by S/T historian Thomas Skogli document this car’s racing provenance and highly desirable track-focused specification. According to the documentation, chassis 1251 was ordered by the German Porsche dealer MAHAG München and delivered to them in May 1971 with a host of Sports Purposes equipment. It appears to have been used for their customer racing program and entered several races by them or presumably their clients throughout the early 1970s, and it has been meticulously yet sympathetically restored to its stunning as-delivered specs.

The Porsche Certificate of Authenticity reads like a Christmas list for Porsche fans. Firstly, it features the M471 lightweight body option which includes simplified bumpers, widened rear flares, and fiberglass deck lids. Quick release closures for the bonnet and engine lid were optioned, as was a 62-liter fuel tank with under hood filler (since updated to 100 liters). Long wheel bolts accommodate the wider wheels and make for quicker tire changes in the heat of battle. It was also specified with a factory roll bar, factory mounting points for competition belts, the simplified interior option (plain door cars, no sound insulation or other niceties), no underseal, and lightweight glass. Lastly, MAHAG specified the fabulous shade of Conda Green (code 2656) with black Porsche lettering on the body sides and tail.

Under the skin, this car originally had a 2,195cc Type 901/02 engine, which was essentially the standard 180bhp road & rally unit. The engine was backed by a 5-speed transaxle with optional “Airfield” racing gear ratios and a limited-slip differential. Per the accompanying history report, this car is said to retain its original numbers-matching engine, which was uprated in July 1971 to 911/20 Group 4 specifications, boosting it to approximately 2.3 liters and a claimed 230 bhp on mechanical fuel injection. It is noted that the gearbox is a period replacement unit, rebuilt with the Airfield ratios and limited slip internals as specified by factory records.

According to the Thomas Skogli report, the car was entered in several German GT races in 1971 and 1972, often with Reinhardt Stenzel at the helm. Period photos show it often ran with a fabulous 917-inspired ‘psychedelic’ livery and the ubiquitous Minilite wheels. Highlights of its on-track exploits include:

• 1971 Flugplatzrennen Kaufbeuren, Allgau – 1st in GT, +2000cc
• 1971 ADAC Bavaria-Rennen, Saltzburgring – 1st in Class, Group 4
• 1971 Sudwest Pokal-Int. ADACV Solitude Rennen – 4th Overall
• 1971 ADAC Hessenpreiss Flugplatz Kassel – 3rd in Class
• 1972 Int. DMV Rhein-pokal Jochen Rindt, Hockenheim – 1st Overall

In 1989, the 911 S/T was discovered by Rolf Nilsson at MAHAG. At the time, it was finished in white and dressed in RS-style trim, and once he uncovered the car’s true identity, he restored it back to its original green. It stayed with Nilsson for approximately a decade, before joining the collection of Ulf Lundberg in 1999. Lundberg ran the car occasionally in historic events, but it largely stayed in his collection. It then traded hands to Pär Tufvesson, before coming into the care of Jonathan Williams in the UK in 2013. Working through the respected specialists at Autofarm, Mr. Williams commissioned a comprehensively detailed and documented restoration. Since then, it has remained in an extensive and significant Porsche collection and is now beautifully preserved to be shown with pride, while the light character simply begs for you to grab the keys and go searing off down your favorite ribbon of tarmac.