In 1963 Porsche introduced their seminal 901 at the 911 at the Frankfurt Motor Show which would be renamed 911 for the 1964 model year. The new car was sold alongside the 356C as an alternative with more power and room for a rear seat. At the 1963 Frankfurt show the public saw Porsches new direction. Compared to the 356 it had a longer wheelbase, a more compact suspension setup and much more power from the flat-6 engine.
The first generation of the Porsche 911 begins in late 1964 and goes through 1968. The "base" model was an instant hit. During this period, Porsche would make continuous improvements and tweaks to the body, to its short wheelbase (SWB) chassis, and to its 2.0 liter flat six engine. Model year 1968 would be the last for the early 911, a transition that would begin with the introduction of the higher output 911S in 1967, followed by the 911L and a new entry level 911T in 1968, and finally, the 911E in 1969. The base 911 was available as both a Coupe and Targa (starting in '67).
The Porsche 911 E was designed to fall nicely between the 911 T touring model and the top of range high-performance 911S. The Porsche 911 T would continue for its second year in Europe, and newly introduced into the United States market, as the entry level offering for the 911, sitting below the 1969 911E and the 1969 911S. The 1969 911E was powered by engine Type 901/09 (Type 901/11 with Sportomatic) featuring mechanical fuel injection (MFI). The 2.0 L Aircooled Flat 6 was good for 140 bhp at 6500 rpm.
The Porsche 911E continued as the midrange 911 for the 1970 and 1971 model years, fitting between the contemporaneous 2.2L 911T and the 2.2L 911S. It produced 155 bhp and featured all the upgrades that came with C-Series production including longer wheelbase, Fuchs alloy wheels. Both the E and S model 911 had an aluminium engine-lid and aluminium bumpers. The 911 E 2.2 was once again available as either a Coupe or Targa body. For model year 1972, the 2.2L 911E was replaced by the 2.4L 911E.
The Porsche 911E continued as the midrange 911 model for 1972 and 1973, fitting between the contemporaneous 2.4L 911T and the 2.4L 911S. As with the T and S variants, Porsche would upgrade the 911E to a new, larger 2,341 cc (2.3 L) engine, commonly known as the "2.4 L" engines. The 911E version, designated 911/52 was rated at 165 hp (it was designated 911/62 with Sportomatic). With the power and torque increase, the 2.4-liter cars also got the newer and stronger transmission.
In 1967 the A-Series Porsche production line was divided into the entry-level 911T, the standard 911 L for Lux and the sporting 911S. The 911L was effectively the 911 2.0 from previous years with only very minor updates such as new door handles, a brushed aluminum dashboard, a black steering wheel and other very minor details. In Europe, where it was considered the midrange model it featured engine Type 901/06 (Type 901/07 with Sportomatic) rated at 130 hp. In North America, the 911L was the highest level offering.
In 1966 the beefier 160hp 911S was introduced as the first variation of the 911. The "S" which stood for "Super" boasted performance upgrades and modifications that included larger valves, a higher compression ratio, better porting and larger carburetor jets. Along with the mechanical tweaks, the 911S also received chassis upgrades in the form of a rear anti-roll bar, Koni shocks, distinctive 5-spoke Fuchs alloy wheels and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners to replace the solid discs.
Along with all the C-series improvements to the 911 line, the 1970 Porsche 911 S was upgraded to include a 180 bhp version flat-6. This further improved the performance credentials of the model which already had Fuchs light alloy wheels and bigger brakes. Specific to the S model's engine was a re-profiled camshaft, larger valves, better porting, higher compression and larger jets for the Weber carburetors. This resulted in 30 more horsepower for a total 180 horsepower.
The final early 911S befitted from Porsche's 2.4-liter engine the the long-wheel-base body. As such it is one of the final classic 911s before the 2.7 came out in 1973. Visually, the 2.4 range received a new chin on the front valence that was standard on the 911S and optional for the rest of the range. The S model had slight larger 6Jx15 Fuchs alloy wheels over the other models. The final early 911S benefitted from Porsche's 2.4-liter engine the the long-wheel-base body
The Porsche 911L (Lux) was introduced in model year 1968 in both Europe and the United States in coupe and targa variants. Approximately 1,610 samples were produced in total, of which 1,169 were coupes, and 575 were Targas. For the 1969 model year, the 911L would cease to exist, paving the way for a new mid-tier offering in Europe and the US, the 1969 911E, and for the higher-end 1969 911S in North America.
The Porsche 911T continued as the entry level 911 for the 1970 and 1971 model years, sitting below the 2.2L 911 E and the 2.2 L 911 S. The 911 T featured all the upgrades that came with C-Series production updates including longer wheelbase and Fuchs alloy wheels. During its production years it was available as both a Coupe or Targa bodystyle. As with the E and S variants, Porsche would upgrade the 911T to a larger 2.2 liter engine.
The 911T Coupe and Targa continued as the entry level 911 for 1972 and 1973. As with the higher-end E and S variants, Porsche upgraded the 911T to a new, larger 2.3 L engine, commonly known as the "2.4 L" engine. With the power and torque increase, the 2.4-liter cars also got the newer and stronger transmission. Non-US versions (ROW), were carbureted and featured the Type 911/57 engine, rated at 130 hp. US-spec 911T's had engine Type 911/51 and were rated at 140 hp.
Put most simply, a 912 is essentially a 911-style body mated with a 356-derived 4-cylinder engine. The 356 was Porsche’s first mass-marketed sports car. The Porsche 911 is the most successful sports car of all time. the new 912 came equipped with 90HP motor was a slightly detuned version of the 95HP motor that had powered its predecessor, the 356SC. However, despite this reduction of power, and despite the 912 being a heavier car, it was actually faster than the 356SC thanks to more streamlined aerodynamics and a more advanced suspension system.