Porsche presented the 911 Targa at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 1965. The Targa is neither a convertible nor a coupe, but something completely new, a convertible fitted with a roll bar or roll bar . The roof is removable and a plastic rear window is foldable. Completely closed, fully open or simply with the central part of the roof removed or the rear window folded down, the Targa concept was the start of a new body type. Porsche will use it on all future generations of 911, but also on other models, such as the 914 or the Carrera GT.
Named after the Targa Florio
With this new concept Targa, Porsche met the increased safety requirements for open-top cars in the US market, countering voices calling for a complete ban on convertibles in the United States. When choosing a name for this version, special attention was paid to competitive events where the brand stood out. The appellation Targa for Targa Florio – rally in Sicily where Porsche was successful in the 1950s – was selected. For a short while, “911 Flori” was in discussion until sales manager Harald Wagner asked the question: “Why don’t we just call it Targa?” The Italian term also means “license plate”, but legend has it that it only appeared when the editors worked on the sales brochure. In August 1965, Porsche files the patent for the concept Targa and from the autumn of 1966, the Targa completes the range of the Coupé for 911 and 912 with a. As of late summer 1967, Targa models could also be ordered as an option with a fixed, heated glass rear window, in place of the folding plastic rear window. A solution that became standard equipment a year later and has remained a feature of the Targa more or less unchanged until 1993.
Targa option for G series models
The Targa also remained an essential part of the range for the second generation of 911, the G-series models built from the end of the summer of 1973. For the first time, the 911 bodywork has been durably modified with new bumpers fitted with (unsightly) black bellows on the side, in accordance with new US law. They were able to absorb shocks up to a speed of 8 km / h without any damage. No changes have been made to the technical design of the Targa roof. The visual appearance has been changed, the roll bar in brushed stainless steel being available in black. Even when the 911 SC Cabriolet was included in the range in January 1983, the version Targa remained in the catalog, even beyond the end of production of the G series in 1989.
Targa 964 with 85% new parts
From the fall of 1988, Porsche introduced the first all-wheel drive 911 with the 911 Carrera 4 Type 964. The Zuffenhausen brand has retained the classic 911 body shape, but around 85% of all parts are unpublished. A year later, a pure propulsion variant was also available in the form of the 911 Carrera 2, but the three types of bodywork could also be ordered: Coupé, Convertible and Targa. The 911 Carrera 2 Targa and 911 Carrera 4 Targa, built until 1993, still had the classic roll bar and the central part of the removable roof. A total of 87,663 Targa models were built in the first three 911 generations.
From the roll bar to the glass roof, the 911 Targa Type 993
The fourth generation of the 911 Type 993 was introduced in the fall of 1993 and Porsche developed a new concept Targa from November 1995. In addition to the improvements made to the engine and the chassis, the 993 generation brought the idea of the Targa in a completely different direction, without roll bar which is replaced by a tinted thermal insulation glass roof, up to the rear quarter window frame. Aesthetically, this solution is very successful and fits perfectly with the 993. The glass roof was enclosed in a longitudinal safety structure and divided into mobile electrical segments. It was sliding, opening and retracting behind the rear window. The main advantages of the new solution included reduced wind noise and a bright interior when the roof was closed. A typical feature of this Targa : the rear quarter windows were tapered and not rounded at their ends as on the Chopped off.
911 Targa Type 996, new rear window
Porsche presented the fifth generation of 911 with the 911 Carrera Type 996 in 1997. The Targa was available from December 2001 alongside the Chopped off and Convertible. Like its predecessor, the 911 Targa had an electrically operated glass roof over 1.5 square meters. There has never been so much glass in one area. Porsche 911. The new Targa was also the first 911 to offer a folding rear window, making it easier to access the rear storage compartment, with up to 230 liters of storage space. Aesthetic and functional.
911 Targa 4 / 4S Type 997, lighter glass
September 2006 saw the introduction of the sixth generation of 911 Targa, the Type 997. It had the same Targa roof design as the 996, but with a rear window fitted with a special glass reducing the weight of 1.9 kg as well as two strips of shiny polished aluminum along the edges of the roof. A little too flashy … In addition, the 911 Targa was now only available in the two all-wheel drive variants – the 911 Targa 4 and the 911 Targa 4S.
911 Targa Type 991, the return to the roll bar
In September 2011, Porsche introduced the seventh generation of the 911 completely redesigned, the Type 991. After versions Chopped off and Convertible, the 911 Targa was presented in January 2014, adopting an innovative Targa roof. The original Targa classic has been modified to be articulated for the first time. The new model had the original roll bar in place of the B-pillars, a movable roof section above the front seats and a wraparound rear window without a C-pillar. Unlike the conventional models, the fully automatic roof concealed the structural element rigid behind the rear seat. The new 911 Targa represented a new reinterpretation of the classic Targa from 1965.
The saga of Porsche 911 Targa continues with the generation Type 992, article to read here.
Source CP Porsche
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