The Porsche 911 enjoyable enough for a fighter pilot.
If the Porsche 911 is the greatest version of a driver’s car, then the classic air-cooled 1973 Porsche 911T is the greatest version of the 911. The 911T is the entry level car from the 1973 lineup, and it’s all the better for it. With fewer additional options and extras, the T cars are the lightest of the family, and the most driver-focused. It’s why Porsche revived the 911T name in 2018 for its affordable, lightweight Carrera model.
The classic 911T hit the streets with a larger 2.4L engine that pumped out 140 horsepower that came coupled to a stronger five-speed manual transmission. That new unit featured shorter throws and a more traditional H-shift pattern. The older transmission featured a dog-leg first gear. Porsche essentially took everything that made the 911 special and just dialed it all up a little bit.
Finding a good 911T can be a bit of a hassle though. Being the entry level driver’s car, most of the 911Ts have been beaten, abused, or lost to crashes and rust. But then we stumbled upon this incredible specimen of a machine. Listed for sale at Naples Classic Car, this particular 1973 911T is a low-mile survivor, the likes of which we haven’t seen in quite a while. The first owner was a Navy Pilot who kept the car properly stored in California until it was sold in 2016. This Bahia Red coupe has just 26,000 miles on the odometer, and is so well preserved it’s still wearing the rubber it had on the showroom floor. It shows no signs of rust, comes with full documentation, and a certificate of authenticity from Porsche to verify the engine and transmission stampings. This 911T even comes with the original window sticker.
Looking through the beautiful set of photos provided with the listing, the most worn piece of the car appears to be the slight marking of the paint on the black lug nuts. The interior looks spotless, the paint is bright and glossy, and the engine bay looks cleaner than the interior of most new cars. If this is your idea of a dream 911, $249,000 takes it home.
