The Targa Florio was by far the most exciting race of the 20th century and was hugely important to both car manufacturers and racing teams. It ran on public roads through the Sicilian countryside and the distance was almost 500 km long. The first time it was run was in 1906, that is, long before both the Grand Prix, Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. In the early 1970s, the speeds during the competition were incredibly high, and thus the risk of accidents also increased. This made 1973 the last year of the race under world championship conditions, and after the 1977 fatal accident, the race was stopped altogether.

The car was fully restored in 2009 at California Porsche Restoration for $130,000.

It is from this unique piece of motorsport history that Porsche took the name of its Targa models. Introducing the Targa Florio brings us to today's article about this absolutely stunning 1970 Porsche 911E Targa we at Bidders Highway is honoured to have on the website! A car that was renovated in 2009 for over 130,000 USD and which today can be considered a car in mint condition.

The fact that the car has only driven about 5000 guaranteed kilometres does not make matters less amazing. Painted in classic Gulf blue with period correct Fuchs wheels. The cars interior has been updated with houndstooth-patterned Recaro seats for better comfort and extra embrace when more passionate driving is desired.

1 of 902 ever made.

When Erik, our Head of auctions, was out looking at the car, he called shortly afterwards in pure ecstasy: "It's like NEW, if not even better!". The rest of us in the team got to see the pictures after the shoot and we could only agree.

The condition is absolutely mint and it's incredible that a 50 year old car looks like it just rolled out of the factory, refurbished or not. The meticulous restoration was carried out by California Porsche Restoration, a company known for its commitment and meticulous work with restorations.

The condition is incredibly nice and can almost be described as new.

The E-model of the original 911 comes with the fantastic 2.2-liter boxer six of approx. 160hp and was actually, believe it or not, faster to 160km/h than the sharper 911S which was the top model in the range. The Targa body was added according to rumours when Porsche was afraid that the American vehicle authority NHTSA would deny the sale of a convertible due to lack of crash protection. The market for convertibles was important to the company as the sale of the 356 was very lucrative.

Moldings, emblems and chrome are all in top condition.

Only 902 cars were built and provide an extra incentive for collectors. Classic Porsche wagons are not only fantastic to drive and beautiful to look at but have also been safe savings despite periods of sluggish economy worldwide.

Take the chance to experience the flair of the 70s 50 years later!

Auction link: 1970 Porsche 911 E Targa
(The auction starts on 30/1 and ends on Tuesday 6/2 at 19.00 CET)