Targa - Part 1
The 911 from model year 1967 with this Targa version was delivered for only about two years. Anyone who owned a car of this rare type could consider themselves lucky. It was the folding roof behind the Targa soporte that
made it so special. You could drive closed, with only the roof open, only the rear open or completely open.
The car was available as 911 and 912. The latter disappeared at the same time as this Targa version and was replaced by the 911 T. Why was a fixed rear window initially optional and then mandatory from model year 1968
onwards? Maybe it had something to do with the introduction of the heated rear window in the coupé a year earlier. It could not be realized in the version with a folding roof at the rear.
The idea of the roll bar arose in racing and for tractors without a roof structure, which can easily tip over completely, especially in mountainous terrain, and thus can represent a deadly danger. In addition, starting in the USA,
even before the development of the 911, there was a new awareness of safety that a full convertible a la 356 no longer considered sensible.
The campaign was most widespread through the book 'Unsafe at any speed' by Ralph Nader in 1965, the year the first 911 Targa was presented, in which he not only harshly criticized the Chevrolet Corvair but also the
manufacturers. And that's why a completely open convertible seemed to be taboo for a long time. The Targa was then also referred to as a 'safety convertible'.
| Siege bei der Targa Florio |
| 1956 | Magioli/von Hanstein |
| 1959 | Barth/Seidel |
| 1960 | Bonnier/Hermann |
| 1963 | Bonnier/Abate |
| 1964 | Pucci/Davis |
In the case of the rear part of the roof, no thought was given to completely removing it. It was opened so that it sinks down to the rear shelf and is then completely covered. From model year 1967 onwards, the fixed window
gave the rear part of the car more stability. It should be interesting to find out how strong the airflow got caught in the rear part of the Targa and thus worsened the cW value.
Of course, the rear view was much better thanks to a firm car window. Together with the firmer, albeit collapsible targa roof, the noise comfort should also have improved significantly when the car is closed. However, side
ventilation slots on the targa bar were now necessary. But after all it was a shame ...
The concept of a roll bar with a fixed rear window was retained over the next two model generations until 1993. With the model G from 1973 onwards, the targa bar is also available in black instead of brushed stainless steel.
From 1983 there was also a full convertible again, but this time with an extendable rollover protection.
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