For Sale at Auction: 1976 Porsche 911 in Carmel, California

Chassis No. 9306800041
Engine No. 6860040

For decades the mantra for anyone interested in purchasing a 911 Turbo, or any 911 for that matter, was to find the newest example possible. The reasoning made sense. Porsche's philosophy of refinement through incremental change and evolution rather than revolution brought the 911 Turbo displacement increases, intercooling, all-wheel drive, twin turbochargers, and more. Yet as the model evolved, there were those who missed the design purity of the earliest cars that featured an array of exciting colors inside and out pioneered by Style Porsche. Built between 1975 and 1977, those non-intercooled Type 930s were built in limited numbers which, according to Porsche, was intended to comprise just 500 cars to homologate the 1976 934 Turbo RSR for FIA Group 4 International GT racing. For a growing number of Porsche aficionados only the earliest and most stylish examples of the Type 930 would do, and one would be hard-pressed to find a more attractive 1976 911 Turbo Carrera than chassis number 0041.

Selected in the optional shade of Coppaflorio (360) known as Ice Blue in the U.S. (and occasionally Polar Blue), according to Ryan Snodgrass' seminal Turbo 3.0, this 1976 911 Turbo Carrera is one of only three finished in Coppaflorio worldwide that year. An analysis of the book reveals it was fitted with an interior to sample in Blue leather (3AG) and Midnight Blue carpeting (7AG). Snodgrass' book records the factory-fitted options in November 1975 as limited slip differential, Turbo side stripes in Black, driver and passenger Recaro sport seats, 1.5 horsepower starter motor, an electric sliding sunroof, and Pirelli CN36 tires fitted to 15-inch Fuchs wheels. This stunning combination of exterior and interior colors and desirable options was delivered to the United States and distributed through VWoA Western Region with its original service book revealing the original selling dealer as River Road Porsche-Audi just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.

First owned by Dr. Joseph P. Liccardi Jr., an orthopedic surgeon, the car is documented by service book stamps and a thorough history file that show the doctor kept his Coppaflorio Turbo for nine years until 1985 and approximately 16,000 miles, after which it passed through a short succession of owners that included Lloyd Hawkins-a well-known name within the competition Porsche transaxle community. In 1996, it was sold through New Orleans Porsche dealership Crescent City Motors to Leander George Mehrhoff, president of the local PCA Mardi Gras Region, with 26,574 miles recorded. Service invoices on file show the care afforded the car under Mehrhoff's ownership at both Crescent City and Rennsport Porsche adding an impressive 12,600 miles over the next five years.

Following two additional Louisiana-based owners, in 2006, the special Turbo Carrera joined the collection of Chuck Goldsborough. In the mid-2000s, Goldsborough, an endurance and sports car racer himself, set out to acquire four distinctive first-year U.S. Turbo Carreras, one for each of his sons. The Coppaflorio Turbo's matching-numbers engine (transmission number not recorded) received a rebuild in 2006 at Ralph's Auto Service, one of the oldest Porsche specialist shops in the country, with new pistons and cylinders, ARP head studs, cylinder head restoration with a complete valve job, and more. In 2013, Ralph's conducted a thorough service with a focus on the fuel system with additional servicing conducted at Porsche of Annapolis.

Now, firmly in the upper echelons of collectible Porsches, this Coppaflorio masterpiece became part of the Todd Blue Collection in 2018 with only 45,000 miles recorded from new. Under current ownership, this highly collectible, first-year U.S. Turbo Carrera has seen diligent maintenance, first in Houston and later internally within the collection while seeing only limited use during that time. Complementing its exceptionally preserved presentation is a period Blaupunkt stereo fitted with its rare dashboard-mounted dictation microphone, a seldom-seen accessory considered de rigueur for any 1970s professional working on the move. Work conducted shortly after acquisition includes an engine mechanical refresh with a new clutch, new engine mounts, air conditioning system maintenance, shifter bushing replacement, a front brake system rebuild, and a wheel refinish followed by a full alignment.

Today, this landmark example of Porsche's foray into turbocharged road cars features 45,719 miles and is offered with its original Owner's and Warranty & Maintenance Manual, a toolkit, and a substantial file tracing the history of the car from its earliest days as one of the first, and certainly one of the most unique, Turbo Carreras sold in the United States.