A 1973 manufactured LHD Carrera 2.7 MFI Coupe in restored condition

Any car enthusiast with an ounce of petroleum in their veins will be aware of the 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7RS, nearly every journalist waxed lyrical about it when launched and it was no coincidence that several formula 1 drivers had one for commuting to the circuit for their day job. Initially, just 500 were to be produced, but this crept to 1580 cars by the time production ended.

In October 1973 for the 74 model year, the Carrera RS was replaced with a new Carrera featuring near-identical mechanicals but wrapped in a new G Series body. These early Carrera models weighed 1075KGs, just 15kgs heavier than the outgoing RS Touring, so unsurprisingly performance figures quoted from Porsche at the launch were identical.

However, a £2,235.00 price hike of over the outgoing 73RS Touring to £8,580.00 at launch was probably one of the reasons only 1011 Carrera 2.7 MFI Coupes were produced for the 74 model year, ironically making them rarer than the holy grail – the 73RS.

History has not been kind to the 74 Carrera, often being overshadowed by the more delicate looking 73 variants. However, as time goes by, the impact bumper cars that have been loathed for so long are finally having their day as a new generation of buyer who actually prefers them is emerging.

We are pleased to offer this LHD Carrera 2.7 MFI for sale, that was manufactured in December 1973 making it one of the earliest examples available.

It was first supplied by Porsche cars Belgium and registered in Brussels May 1974 to a Mr Dlugi and then to Mr Desomme who kept the car until 1983. It then moved to the south of France where it remained until 1998 with its third owner Mr Chabert before being purchase in Cannes and imported into the UK by its 4th owner Mr Sellick in December 1998. We purchased the car in December 2013 and it has been in our custody since then.

Although the ownership history is clear from new, as with many cars of this age, the service history is less complete with nothing present during its life in Belgium. This is possibly made a little clearer, with correspondence from Mr Chabert to Mr Sellick in the history file in 1998 confirming the car was originally orange and before his ownership had been painted white whilst the engine had been replaced at some stage with another unit from a 73 car, hard to believe now, but probably cheaper than having the original rebuilt at the time.

When we purchased the car in 2013, a certificate of authenticity from Porsche was acquired which confirmed it was originally orange, with leather interior, ducktail rear spoiler and electric sunroof. It had been maintained in the UK by several specialists and had received a thorough restoration by Barry Carter (Early 911 coachbuilding) in 2008, but mechanically was a little tired all the way through, the engine, in particular, has seen better days.

We already owned another 2.7MFI engine that had been built up from new genuine un -numbered 7R cases, so fitted this along with a rebuilt gearbox, brakes and suspension and carried out a glass out respray. We then used the car as a daily driver during the summer months until 2016 when we approached by a regular client who had been looking for an LHD car that could be used for long European trips. A sale was agreed, and our client also decided he wanted the standard leather interior removed and replaced with lightweight carpets, door cards and a pair of lollipop RSR style seats trimmed with black and white pasha inserts. (The original interior will be supplied with the car)

At the same time, we went through the car mechanically again to ensure he could enjoy this MFI Carrera with total reliability. Ironically due to a change of personal circumstances, it has only been driven a handful of miles since.

On the road, those that understand these early 911s and have driven this car marvel at how well it performs and drives, it certainly makes for a very engaging and faithful companion on European tours.

If you have been searching for an original car, with matching numbers and perfect service history, you will need to keep looking elsewhere. However, if you own a 73RS and because of its value no longer want to use it, or simply cannot afford the £500,000 required to buy a 73 Touring model in restored condition, this 2.7 Carrera may tick several boxes. It offers all thrills of the 73, but for a third of the outlay and those impact bumpers are suddenly looking pretty cool too!