Vehicle Description
The words ""homologation special"" will surely stir the emotions of
any car enthusiast. The term signifies an obligation for automotive
manufacturers to build a minimum number of road-legal cars to meet
the entry criteria for certain racing classes. As an end result,
every-day car buyers have the opportunity to claim a piece of
motorsport history with their own racer for the road-albeit often
slightly pared-back to meet road safety requirements. As long-term
participant in many forms of motorsport, the Porsche badge adorns
several memorable ""specials"". The road-going 959 was born out of
the manufacturer's wish to compete in Group B rally racing, while
the 911 GT1 ""Strabenversion"" was a road-going foil to the
endurance racing legend 911 GT1 Evo. But before all these came the
first and most coveted of Porsche homologation specials-the 911
Carrera RS 2.7-which was initially made to satisfy the 500 required
for Porsche's entry into Group 3 racing. It was also the first
specific homologation model that Porsche actively marketed.
Brand-new for the 1973 model year, the RS 2.7, in Sport
(Lightweight) or Touring spec, was based heavily on the earlier
1972 911 S. Key differences came through significant weight-saving,
and the fitment of a larger bore 2.7-litre version of the
late-specification 2.4-litre 911 S engine. The revised engine was
rated at 210 horsepower, packing almost 20 per cent more torque
than its predecessor. Thinner-gauge steel panels, a glassfibre
engine cover and bumpers, and minimal creature comforts kept the RS
Sport to just 960 kilograms. The recognizable flared rear wheel
arches and ""ducktail"" spoiler give the model signature features
that separate it from its road-going forebears. Porsche set out
with the intention of building just 500 examples of the model, but
the customer order book was complete before the end of 1972. A
second series of 500 were laid down, these being sold by the spring
of 1973, so a third series was offered. Ultimately, a total of
1,580 cars were built of all variations, including 1,308 of the
""M472"" Touring version.
This example, chassis ""0388"", an early-January 1973 build, is one
of those important first series cars. It was sold new in Paris as a
basic ""no extras"" Touring model. Thought to be one of only four
cars sold into France in Sepia Brown, accounts of its history
suggest it led a very busy life as a daily driver in its early
years. In early 1986, the car was acquired by Philippe Aunay,
President of Porsche Club France from 1980 until 2004. Mr Aunay was
a high-profile personality around the French Porsche circuit,
establishing the Rouen Porsche Centre and IMSA race team in the
1990s, all-the-while amassing an impressive collection of
homologation-spec 911s. He claimed that the Porsche had covered
223,000 kilometres when he acquired the car, as told in a 1992
article in Flat 6 magazine that celebrated 20 years of the RS. As
an enthusiast of early-RS models, Mr Aunay entrusted the car to
legendary Porsche preparer, Louis Meznarie, and commissioned a
total overhaul. This included a comprehensive colour change to Gulf
Orange-none had been sold into France in that colour-plus a general
simplification back to the more basic Sport specification, while
retaining the special Recaro sport seat option. The mechanical
rebuild included a factory-exchange transmission, and a total
engine rebuild onto a new-and still unnumbered-magnesium
crankcase.
