Project Black

A tribute to good design.

This factory restoration is not so much the story of a vehicle. It's the story of design. More precisely, about Porsche Design – the company that Ferdinand Alexander Porsche founded in 1972 to realise his conceptions of good design. Nine years earlier, Ferry Porsche's eldest son had his first major success as an industrial designer: the Porsche 911. A model that became iconic and has played a key role in shaping the Porsche legend to this day. To mark the 50th anniversary of Porsche Design, Porsche Classic is honouring this achievement with a restored 911 S 2.4 Targa from 1972, the year that Porsche Design was founded.

Front view: Porsche 911 T 2.4, 50 Years of Porsche Design edition

A classic Targa celebrates 50 years of Porsche Design.

When F. A. Porsche designed the 911, he laid two cornerstones: he created an iconic sports car and catapulted himself onto the Mount Olympus of designers. With Porsche Design, the company he founded in 1972, he also ventured beyond sports car production and made design history. Above all else, the "Chronograph I" is considered his greatest stroke of genius – the first watch with a Black case and Black dial. It wasn't a gimmick, nor was it for aesthetic reasons. Rather, F. A. Porsche found inspiration in the Black dashboards of racing cars, which minimise irritating reflections from the windscreen.

As an homage to F. A. Porsche, a special pair of vehicles was to be created in which the colour Black dominated: the new special model "Porsche 911 Edition — 50 Years of Porsche Design" and a unique piece as a historical counterpart. The choice was made in favour of a 911 T 2.4 Targa from the year Porsche Design was founded. Different than usual, this time it wasn't about restoring the original condition of the vehicle. The designers and employees working on the factory restoration were tasked with carefully transferring the specifications of the new car to the classic one, thereby combining the original and the modern. After all, not all modifications fit the overall philosophy of a vehicle or are technically feasible.

From above: Porsche 911 T 2.4, 50 Years of Porsche Design edition

Timelessly connecting past and present.

As with every factory restoration, this one also begins with coming to terms with the past. The 911 T 2.4 Targa was in poor condition and had missing parts. While such a starting point is usually rather unfortunate for our specialists, it proved ideal for this project. In fact, this made it much easier to abandon the internalised desire to preserve the original and instead focus entirely on design. The overarching question persisted of how the design of the "Chronograph 1" could be expressed in a 911 T 2.4 Targa and reconciled with elements from the new special model "Porsche 911 Edition — 50 Years of Porsche Design".

Answers to this question came mainly in the form of exclusive details such as the "50 Years of Porsche Design" badge with a facsimile signature of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and custom features. In addition, the engine was fully upgraded to the S version. After all, the unique piece must not only be timeless, but also fast.

Expressing 50 years of Porsche Design.

Workshop scene: Porsche 911 T 2.4. body-in-white.

Porsche 911 T 2.4 body-in-white is cleaned.

Sewing machine, fabric with check pattern in Black and Cool Grey

Detailed view: Porsche Classic engine for Porsche 911 T 2.4 Targa.

Side view: Black Porsche 911 T 2.4 Targa

Retrospective: down to each part.

The 911 T 2.4 Targa is dismantled down to the last screw. Every component is checked thoroughly and, if necessary, refurbished or replaced.

Reduction: down to the last paint particle.

The body is immersed in a bath where paint and primer are removed without leaving any residue. Since this work step also removes the rust, the true condition of the metal components now becomes clear. Missing parts are restored to pristine condition as sheet metal is laboriously worked by hand. To craft and install them, the experts rely on traditional methods requiring special skills: spot welding, metal active gas welding (MAG) and brazing.

Shaping: according to all the rules of the art.

To repair the bodyshell, the same original bodyshell techniques that were used in production in 1964 are again applied. To achieve maximum precision, the latest generation of frame straightening benches and computer-controlled laser measuring systems are used.

Avant-garde: immersion in the CDC bath.

For state-of-the-art rust prevention, the body-in-white is taken to one of the most advanced CDC lines: that of Porsche AG in Zuffenhausen. This integration of such capabilities into series production is unique around the world. To complete the bodyshell work, the perfect paint job is completed in Black Uni. In addition, the Fuchsfelgen® (Fuchs wheels) are re-anodised.

New interpretation: of bar and roof.

As a special highlight, the Targa bar was coated in Satin Platinum instead of the original in brushed stainless steel. The Targa logo appears in Matte Black.

Craftsmanship: combining the new and the old.

Chequered surfaces contrast with the Black leather in the interior of this unique car. At the same time, they resonate with the modern special model. A Classic Black / Cool Grey check pattern in Sport-Tex can be found, for example, in the door panels, in the lower area of the instrument panel and in the central panels of the seats. The strength and elasticity of the current fabric demanded all the skills of our upholsterer, especially when upholstering the 50-year-old seats. There is a "50 Years of Porsche Design" badge on the passenger side.

Artfully upgraded: engine and chassis.

While the 911 T 2.4 Targa had to be content with 130 PS in its original state, the experts from Porsche Classic fully upgraded the engine and chassis to the S version. The model, top-of-the-line in its time, achieves 190 PS at 6,500 rpm with a displacement of 2,341 cm3 and featured mechanical fuel injection. Similar to the modern special model, there is a "50 Years of Porsche Design" badge with a facsimile of F. A. Porsche's signature on the grille of the engine cover at the rear.

Top priority: the final acceptance.

The 911 S 2.4 Targa was thoroughly tested before it could be given to Porsche Design as a gift. Every detail was examined on the test bench, according to methods that are also used in part for current series vehicles. We also worked out the entire tuning with the same amount of effort as with a new vehicle. The final road tests were personally carried out by the Head of Porsche Classic Factory Restoration, Uwe Makrutzki.

Detail: Grey 911 Classic Club Coupe (Type 997)

Porsche 911 Classic Club Coupe

The Porsche Club of America (PCA) has been waiting two and a half years for this moment: the 911 Classic Club Coupe is celebrating its premiere. The vehicle that inspired the exclusive project was the 911 Sport Classic (Type 997) – a coveted limited series, with a legendary rear spoiler in the style of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and a double dome roof that was never available before in the USA. With the new Factory One-Off, under the guiding principle of the newly launched Sonderwunsch (special request) programme, we have now succeeded in achieving an equally exciting vehicle concept for the USA. Based on a 996 ducktail, this one-of-a-kind not only brings together a double dome roof, Fuchsfelgen® (Fuchs wheels) and GT3 powertrain – it makes everything look like it was made from one piece.

Contact

Find a Porsche Centre

Scroll to the page top.