Yahoo Autos The First Porsche 911 Cabriolet Ever Built Is Headed to Auction
Porsche has built many special 911s over the model's 53-year run, but few, if any, are as special as the one pictured above. Although, technically, it's not a 911. It's a 901–which was the 911's original name before Peugeot forced a change–and it's one of just two surviving pre-production examples out of 13 originally made. Oh, and it's the first 911 Cabriolet ever built.
Produced as a prototype by Karmann in 1964, this Porsche will cross the block at RM Sotheby's auction in Paris on February 8th, 2017. The auction house estimates it'll sell for between €850,000 and €1,000,000 ($900,000 to $1,060,000 USD), and given the increasing absurdity of air-cooled Porsche prices, that could be a conservative estimate.
This chassis, #13360, is believed to be the second-oldest 901/911 in existence, used as the template for the 911 Targa that debuted in 1967. Initially, Porsche planned on producing a traditional Cabriolet variant for the 911 as it had done for the 356, but fearing tightening U.S. safety legislation, it developed the Targa, with its iconic aluminum roll hoop, instead.
The first production 911 Cabriolet only hit the market in 1982, meaning this 901 Cabriolet predates the production version by nearly 20 years. Truly, this is one of a kind.
As evidenced by the pictures in the auction listing, this 901 Cabriolet is in great shape, though it does show some signs of age in its interior. Being a 1964, this 901 is equipped with a 2.0-liter flat-six producing around 130 horsepower. This particular car looks especially great with its red finish, Fuchs alloys, wood steering wheel, and houndstooth seats.
For a Porsche collector, there are few cars that match the historical significance of this 901 Cabriolet. Expect its final sale price to reflect that significance.
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