Open sports cars weren’t just important to Ferry Porsche. They were Porsche, his car company, from the very earliest days back at the saw mill in Gmünd, Austria. They had also been a key element of the 356’s success, so when Porsche first showed its all-new 901 at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, it was a logical assumption that a roofless version of the new car would follow before long.
Sure enough, two years later, with the renamed 911 now on sale alongside its four-cylinder 912 relation, Porsche showed what it had in mind - and it wasn’t what people were expecting. Now, 60 years later, Porsche Post looks back at key milestones in the type’s history with the help of a mouth-watering selection of cars from the Porsche Museum.
The ‘open’ 911 took a surprisingly long time to go from international debut in September 1965 until production began in the December of 1966, but that was largely due to Porsche deciding on a new solution. Originally, Butzi Porsche wanted to design a completely open car, with bespoke sheet metal around the rear and a unique structure, but this was vetoed for a number of reasons.
Firstly, due to cost: Porsche decided that retaining the same body as the coupe model was a prudent economic step, on what had already been a massive financial undertaking for the company in bringing the 911 to life. Secondly, there was the realisation that to try and retain as much torsional rigidity to the bodyshell lost when you slice the roof structure from a monocoque construction, some major structural enhancement had to take place, of which, a roll bar along the lines of those used in racing could be very effective at reintroducing said strength. Thirdly, any would-be-competitor seeking to use the new open 911 for racing would need said roll bar if it was to be legal under American racing regulations.
What’s also often mentioned, even if it was more of a handy coincidence, was that as the new roof came into production, so legislators in America were considering banning open cars altogether. While this never actually happened, it did cause panic among the product planning departments of many manufacturers, but the new Porsche would have not been affected.
Christened ‘Targa’, after the Targa Florio road race on the isle of Sicily where Porsche had found much success, the new car featured a thick roll over ‘bar’ that spanned the cockpit behind the front seats.
1967 - 911 2.0 Targa (soft window): the birth of the Targa
It’s this original car I drive first - forever known as a ‘soft window Targa’, on account of its rear window. Originally Porsche had envisaged offering two roof options with the car: a soft roll-up canvas shower cap, and a solid glassfibre panel for a snug fit in winter. However, during development it was discovered that the soft roof would bulge alarmingly at high speed, and so the compromise was a vinyl cloth roof panel bolstered by a frame at the sides and bracing underneath, and attached to the windscreen rail and the roll bar. When removed, it was stored under the front luggage area, while the rear ‘screen’ could be zipped out and then hidden under a tonneau at the rear of the passenger compartment.
Today the English summer sun blazes down and the museum staff have long since removed the roof. Such weather is apt, because the Targa wasn’t conceived originally as a car for the British market - so much so, that right-hand drive Targas didn’t reach these shores until the advent of the 2.4-litre 911 for 1972. They were though, unsurprisingly, very popular in the US market, and also at home, where the pessimistic initial sales projections for the type had to be quickly revised and production of Targas rapidly increased in the overall model mix going down the lines.
There are a number of details that mark out this early car, but one of them is the bar itself, which not only has the stainless steel finish but also no ventilation slots that only appeared two years later. Instead you get this broad, featureless slab of metal, with a simple gold ‘Targa’ badge affixed to it. Without the rear window it does look a bit like a pram handle from some angles, but you can’t see that once you’re behind the wheel.
What’s soon apparent is just how appealing an early Targa like this can be. In fact, within the first mile I am grinning so hard my face is in danger of cracking as the rush of warm air through the cockpit, the 911’s delightful driving manners and the bright, metallic sound of the early, 130bhp flat six combine to create something truly wonderful. In outright performance terms the 2.0 Targa is comparable with what was once termed ‘warm hatch’ territory (somewhere around 9 secs from 0-60mph perhaps), but thanks to its light weight (1,080kg - albeit some 50kg heavier than a Coupe of the time) it zips forward and given the pure bark of the engine, outright speed is not the main attraction.
It’s also amazingly softly sprung by modern standards, but thanks again to its low kerb weight it can afford to be and still resist body roll admirably. In return you get a really compliant ride quality over bumps, aided by its plump, high-profile tyres. Expansion joints and potholes that would make you wince in a ‘modern’ barely elicit a response in this Targa, which just flows down the road. It’s an enchanting car.
1976 Carrera 3.0 Targa
The Museum’s C3 Targa is a spectacular car, not least because of its interior/exterior colour combination of Ascot Green (referred to by the museum as Speedway Green and others as Shamrock Green) with a Cork interior. It’s also a rare car, because out of just 3,651 Carrera 3.0s built over a two-year period, only 1,105 left the factory as Targas. It also happens to be one of my own all-time favourite 911s, but we’ll come onto that shortly.
For now, let’s focus on what this car represents, which is everything from the latter ‘long bonnet’ period all the way to the end of the 3.2 Carrera model in 1989. Over that expansive lifetime of the G Model 911s the Targa was a true staple of the 911 range, although its position was weakened unexpectedly when the fully open 911 Cabriolet arrived in 1982, as part of the SC range. Introducing a full convertible 911 was one of the first moves by incoming CEO Peter Schutz when he took over the role in 1981, which must have won plenty of favour with sports car enthusiast Ferry.
As early as the 1968 Porsche had offered the option of a completely glazed rear screen, and the glass became standard fit soon after. Pretty soon there were improvements to the fixing mechanism of the roof panel, and by the time of the C3, the striking stainless steel finish of the roll hoop has been toned down with a satin black finish. Notice the vents on it too, which make it appear less clumsy in my opinion.
Having a fixed window behind you makes a big difference out on the road. No longer does the air blow straight through the car, but rather the feeling is more refined - of a recognisable ‘Targa’ roof experience, somewhere between a coupe and a full convertible. The sun’s rays through the glass would surely make it a pretty ‘hot’ experience if you’ve been squeezed into the 911’s rear seats but up front it’s light and airy, although with less buffeting than the early car.
As for the Carrera 3.0, it was tasked with heading up the regular 911 range, much as the GTS model is today. Above it lay the new 911 Turbo, on sale from the end of 1974, and it was this flagship that bequeathed the fundamentals of its engine to the new Carrera. Prior to this car, the Carrera model had spent two years powered by the mechanically-injected 2.7-litre engine first seen in the 2.7 RS; now, with economy and driveability increasingly important, Porsche needed a high-performance naturally aspirated engine that used Bosch’s new K-Jetronic fuel injection setup.
While the new car lacked some of the previous Carrera’s aggression, it’s still quite different from later SCs and Carrera 3.2 that are very much from the same family. It’s lighter overall, with unassisted brakes and its specific engine internals mean it spins up quicker. On the road its 200hp gives it zingy, irrepressible performance that still feels potent by modern standards, yet with a level of outright grip and braking a major leap on from the original.
964 Carrera 2 Targa
No real change here as the inherent concept of the Targa continued into the 964 model line. To that end, there’s not a great deal to add about how this car feels as a Targa, but by this point in the 911’s lifetime the Cabriolet had virtually taken over from the Targa in the eyes of Porsche buyers and the Targa was becoming an increasingly niche choice.
What’s really astounding is to drive a brand new 964 Carrera 2. I’m not joking: this museum car has covered just 4,000 miles since its birth, and looks, feels and intriguingly smells brand new. It is a moving time warp, and such a treat to experience what the 964 was like when new. I was still at school when this car was launched, and could only look on longingly whether on the page of car magazines, at the motor show stand or on the street.
Much later the 964’s desirability shrank to great depths, and I dimly recall a mate turning down a C2 Targa like this one for under £5,000 - it became the 911 that no one wanted, in sharp contrast to today, of course. Unfortunately for the 964, some of that desirability stems from the fact that they have been the default starting point for the restomod scene.
Just what a pity this is - depending on your viewpoint, admittedly - becomes clear from the moment I twist the key and fire up the lusty 3.6-litre engine. Initially, Porsche’s engineers had believed that developments such as twin spark ignition would provide the increase in power demanded in the brief, while retaining the same displacement as before, and also running with a catalysed exhaust. In practice, the engine was nowhere near producing the required power, and successive increases led to the final 3.6-litre capacity, along with a significant delay in the car coming to market. Which meant when it did arrive, the world was in the midst of a recession.
Yet the chance to drive this box fresh Targa today reveals what an appealing and complete car it really is. With beautifully weighted power steering, strong brakes (with ABS), a tactile but entirely modern in feel five speed gearbox, and the deep chested performance and unmistakable growl of the original 3.6 flat-six, it’s like having a modern car in the compact, cosy confines of a 60s classic. Naturally, there are faster, stiffer, more capable 964s, but right here and now, with the sun shining, I’m not sure I can think of one I’d rather be driving than this beguiling machine.
993 Carrera 2 Targa
A lot changes with the 993, and that includes the Targa roof, which here in modern parlance you might say moves to its ‘Targa 2.0’ iteration. When the 964 Targa passed into the history books in 1993, Porsche didn’t rush to replace it, and the new car wasn’t launched until the 993 got an update in 1996 with the Varioram engine.
The reason? Targa sales had tailed off with the 964 in favour of the Cabriolet, so it wasn’t surprising that Porsche chose this moment to radically rethink the positioning of the Targa model within the range. What they came up with was something more akin to a giant sunroof - a halfway house between Cabriolet and Coupe, albeit perhaps now skewed a bit more towards the latter.
Porsche contracted out the design and development of the roof to a renowned specialist in this area - Webasto - who in turn delivered the roof as a complete module ready to be fitted on the assembly line. The starting point was a Cabriolet bodyshell that was then further strengthened, with a particularly rakish roof rail that gave the car a hint of the Panamericana concept. Just in case you couldn’t tell the difference, there was a new design of alloy wheels too, with five-spoke 17” rims with a split rim/rivet design.
The roof module consists of two large tinted glass panels, with the rearmost one being bonded into the structure of the vehicle. Three electric motors neatly move the central pane below and then under the rear one, while there’s also a small wind deflector at the front.
Although Porsche’s management insisted that the roof panel and the interior were carried over from the 964, it’s important to remember that the 993 was a huge step forward in many respects: stylistically, and in terms of refinement, and ride and handling. After the relatively simple charms of the 964 Targa, the 993 feels so much more sophisticated, and it has to be said, capable. As for the roof panel, it all works at the touch of a button, and open or closed, gives a wonderfully airy feel to the car.
This particular car (again very low mileage) is one fitted with the four-speed Tiptronic transmission, and that pushes it further into ‘GT’ territory. The Tiptronic would never, ever be my choice - I concede it does have its fans - so it’s not altogether fair to compare this car directly with the others present, but behind its rather more sedate and often slothful air lies an absolute cracker of a car. You can just feel the potential of the 993 oozing out of every control surface.
Overall, the shift with the 993 Targa is as much conceptual as it is felt in practice. Although originally envisaged as a sporty, back-to-basics choice 30 years previously, this Targa feels less about wind in the hair motoring and more about sophisticated motoring with added fresh air.
996 Targa
Porsche carried over the same Targa idea to the 996, the idea of an electrically-powered sliding glass roof having captured its own market during the lifetime of its forebear. But while the overall concept was the same, Porsche certainly didn’t hold back from attempting to eliminate the 993’s weaknesses, and once again they took their time to get it right, the Targa not appearing until the launch of the gen 2 model 996 for 2002.
Chief amongst these tasks was to combat the lack of structural rigidity on the 993 Targa that not only had an affect on handling dynamics, but that also led to plenty of squeaks and rattles as the entire structure subtly moved. For the 996, Porsche started with the stiffer coupe as the Targa’s basis, unlike the Cabriolet for the 993, and then further strengthened the structure, including tubular structures linking the A- and C-pillars, to achieve a far higher level of torsional rigidity.
Another new element was that the rear glass window was now a ‘hatchback’, the pane hinging up to reveal a useful and far more accessible luggage area. With the roof panel ‘open’ (once again it slides down and behind the rear window) rearward visibility isn’t that great, but it’s once again a very slick solution overall. Spotting a Targa is easy from that roof structure, with its glazed roof and rear side glass that climaxes in a sharp point, not the coupe’s familiar swoop.
With the added glass, strengthening and electric motors, the Targa was the heaviest 996 at 1,415kg, with a chassis tuned like the cabriolets (albeit with thicker anti-roll cars). It was not trying to be the tearaway ‘driver’s choice’ in the range, but rather a car that majored on style and the experience of driving on demand with added fresh air - or just a lot of daylight in the cabin.
I’m not going to get too hung up on the weight figure, because I’ve put my own 996.2 Carrera Coupe on the scales before now and it came out at around 1,410kg with half a tank of fuel, so the official figures should always be viewed with a degree of scepticism (options fitted and percentage variations allowed under homologation regulations are just two things that can affect the final figures), but one area where it does make a fascinating comparison with my own car is that just like the 964 Targa present, this 996 Targa has also only completed 4,000 miles since new. From the way it drives to the way the interior smells, it really is to all intents and purposes a brand new 996.
It’s a great experience, too: the 3.6-litre engine is lusty and smooth, and the whole car exudes a polish in everything it does. It has a unique knack of feeling compact and almost traditional in the purity of its controls, while also even today still feeling ‘modern’ - highly usable and undemanding. It’s an eye-catching spec this one, from its Guards Red paint to the pale grey leather interior; not my first choice, but a welcome change from the usual dour 996 colour palette. Further confirmation then, if needed, that the 996 is a great 911.
The current car and conclusion
By way of a comparison, there’s a brand new 992.2 Targa 4 GTS parked nearby, and the keys to it are in the palm of my hand. Porsche’s second Targa idea continued from the 996 into the 997, in the latter creating a particularly elegant solution that’s always had great appeal to me. For the 991, however, Porsche changed tack once again, to ‘Targa 3.0’. This time it looked to combine the visual appeal and more open experience of the early cars, with the convenience of the later ones, and the result appeared in the later days of the 991.1 life cycle.
The roll hoop was back, but the automation and general ease of use remained; now you didn’t need to remove the roof panels by hand, but rather an electrically-powered mechanism (essentially shared with the Cabriolet) flipped back the rear screen and hoop as one whole unit, with the roof disappearing into a void and then covered when the clam shell shuts tight. Ingenious.
The new Targa has continued through recent iterations of the 911, which is how I’m coming to sample it in the latest GTS model. Of course, this is no longer merely a Carrera with more power and more kit, but rather the new 3.6-litre single turbo hybrid engine, complete with a huge 534bhp. Given the Targa is only available with four-wheel drive and the PDK transmission, and the necessary gubbins for the roof and associated body strengthening, it’s not surprising that the Targa is relatively heavy - or at least heavy for the standards of 911s of old, at a claimed 1,745kg.
Compare it to modern rivals, such as those from Aston Martin, Mercedes or Maserati, and you’ll see it’s still very reasonable. However, on the road, this is a completely different sort of car from those we’ve sampled earlier today. Even the 996 feels as though it’s been beamed down from another planet when compared to the 992’s footprint on the road, its huge torque, refinement and feeling of solidity. The soft window targa feels like a toy car by comparison.
The new car is epically fast, unbelievably capable and completely effortless to own, but for me it’s an experience best sampled over a longer term. It must surely be a wonderful car to own (if you can afford the £154,400 starting price…), but for a 20 minute blast up the road in the sunshine it can’t compete with some of the older cars here because, quite simply, it’s less of a sports car and more of a GT. That’s not a criticism as such, merely a reflection on the size, weight, and capability set of the new car, which takes it off into a whole new arena, and which plays to the strengths of the Targa philosophy rather well. It may be 60 years old, but the Targa concept remains as unique and desirable as ever.
This feature was written by Adam Towler and first appeared in the September 2025 issue of our monthly Club magazine, Porsche Post. Join today to receive your copy, as well as enjoying a host of exclusive member benefits and savings.