1972 Porsche 911S 2.4-Litre Coupé
Registration no. DRY 704K
Chassis no. 9112300415

'In these cars we see the fruits of all the development effort to produce an unmatched high performance sports car. The classic mainstream production 911 is a 2.4.' - Peter Morgan, 'Original Porsche 911'.

A 'modern classic' if ever there was one, Porsche's long-running 911 arrived in 1964, replacing the 356 that had secured the fledgling company's reputation as producer of some the world's finest sporting cars. The iconic 911 would take this reputation to an even more exulted level on both the road and racetrack.

The 356's rear-engined layout was retained, but the 911 switched to unitary construction for the bodyshell and dropped the 356's VW-based suspension in favour of a more modern McPherson strut and trailing arm arrangement. In its first incarnation, Porsche's single-overhead-camshaft, air-cooled flat six displaced 1,991cc and produced 130bhp; progressively enlarged and developed, it would eventually grow to more than 3.0 litres and, in turbo-charged form, put out well over 300 horsepower. The first of countless upgrades came in 1966 with the introduction of the 911S. Easily distinguishable by its stylish Fuchs five-spoked alloy wheels, the 'S' featured a heavily revised engine producing 160bhp, the increased urge raising top speed by 10mph to 135mph. A lengthened wheelbase introduced in 1969 improved the 911's sometimes wayward handling, and then in 1970 the engine underwent the first of many enlargements, to 2.2 litres, in which form it produced 180bhp on Bosch mechanical fuel injection when installed in the top-of-the-range 'S' model.

All 911 variants received the 2.4-litre (actually 2,341cc) unit for 1972, by which time the 911S featured the stronger Type 915 five-speed gearbox and 6"x15" alloy wheels as standard. Porsche had already tried a 2.4-litre engine in endurance racing, the stretch being achieved by lengthening the stroke, but the impetus for the larger unit's introduction came from the USA's ever more stringent emissions laws. As installed in the 911S, the '2.4' produced 190bhp, while the most obvious external change from the 2.2-litre models was the addition of a small chin spoiler, adopted to improve high-speed stability. Porsche had built 1,430 2.4-litre 911S coupés by the time production switched to the 2.7-litre model for 1974. The '2.7' was the first 911 to incorporate the large impact-absorbing bumpers, disliked by many purists for whom the '2.4' is the last 'old school' 911 and therefore all the more collectible.

Delivered new to the UK and first registered on 18th January 1972, this Porsche 911S was purchased by the late Paul Jennings in July 2014 from marque specialist, Paul Stephens, who had acquired it in May 2013. The car had previously been modified and uprated for rallying (miscellaneous upgraded parts, including a spare set of wheels, offered with the car), and was purchased by Paul Jennings part way through being restored and returned to road specification. Undertaken by Paul Stephens, this was a ground upwards, 'last nut and bolt' restoration to the highest possible standard carried out by one of the UK's foremost Porsche experts (see bills totalling over £100,000 on file, as well as 6 CDs of restoration photographs). Absolutely no expense was spared and the attention to detail is exemplary. In the course of the rebuild, Paul Stephens replaced the uprated 2.7 engine that was in the car with a correct 2.4-litre 'S' unit, which was fully rebuilt and is in immaculate condition, performing perfectly. The Porsche was displayed on Paul Stephens stand at Goodwood when the restoration was finished.

In more recent years the Porsche has been maintained by marque specialists, Autofarm (invoices available). The very substantial history file contains assorted correspondence, details of previous owners, invoices dating back to 1983, a current V5C Registration Certificate, MoT to August 2018, and a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. A wonderful opportunity to acquire one these highly collectible 2.4-litre Porsche 911S models, fully restored by one of the best in the business.