1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
VIN: 9113600788
1,477 miles = 2,377 kilometers
Originally delivered to Porsche Austria in Salzburg, they kept the Carrera RS as part of their collection until October 1974. Subsequently it was sold to the owner of Unit Pictures and stayed in his family until February 1979. Rainer Roth would purchase the car and go on to own 788 for the next 23 years.
Soon after his acquisition of the car Roth decided to convert the M472 touring car as a M471 lightweight. Porsche Austria GMBH was engaged to convert 788. They, of course, used only authentic factory parts, including the very rare sport lightweight seats, lightweight carpets and door panels, clock plug, etc.
After its restoration Roth drove the car until November 1995, when he began to see the long-term collectability of the car and put it in storage. He finally parted with the car in 2002, and it made its way to the US in July of that year. The deal was brokered through the author of the definitive book on the Carrera RS, Dr. Georg Konradsheim.
In 2009 Gunnar Porsche Racing was engaged to do some work on 788 and ended up doing a ground-up, nut and bolt restoration. Stripped down to its component parts it was restored piece-by-piece using only Porsche parts. The original, numbers matching
engine was rebuilt, and transmission serviced. All original parts were replated or refinished. The gauges were restored, and the interior redone. The car was painted its original factory Tangerine paint, and the decision was made to keep the car in the
lightweight trim it received from the factory in 1979. As with all of Gunnar's restorations the work is meticulous and detailed.
788 is numbers matching, and comes with its books, Certificate of Authenticity, and very complete documentation including restoration photographs, import documentation, and ownership history.
The Carrera RS is one of the most revered cars in the Porsche pantheon, and is regarded as one of the finest sports cars of the 1970's. Revealed at the 1972 Paris Auto Show, it was a factory special built to meet the homologation rules of FIA Group 4 racing. The RS ("Rennsport") was almost invincible at Le Mans, Daytona and the Targa Florio, often winning outright against pure racing prototypes. It's not often you would see the same car on the podium one day, and passing you on the open road the next. The RS is conclusive proof that one of Porsche's greatest skills was building a car that was immensely competitive at the track, and equally useable as a street car.
This Carrera RS captures the impossible combination of eminent drivability, total practicality, and huge fun. Few cars have ever, or will ever, match its ability to dominate at the track and then take you safely back home. With careful ownership and maintenance, this car has been restored to easily last another 40 exciting years.
