1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
Build Sheet
| Year | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Body | 2-door coupe (Touring M472 and lightweight Sport M471) |
| Engine | 2.7 L (2,687 cc) air-cooled flat-6 with Bosch mechanical fuel injection |
| Horsepower | 210 PS (207 hp) at 6,300 rpm |
| 0–60 mph | approx. 5.8 seconds |
| Production | 1,580 units (1973) |
| Original MSRP | approx. DM 34,000 in Germany when new (1973) |
| Current value | approx. $680,000 average, ranging $500,000 to over $1.5 million (auction market, 2024) |
The Story
To homologate the 911 for racing, Porsche needed to build 500 road cars. They expected to struggle. Instead, demand for the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 was so fierce that the company eventually built 1,580 of them, turning a humble race-qualifier into the most celebrated air-cooled 911 ever made.
The recipe was pure addition by subtraction. Engineers bored the flat-six out to 2.7 liters for 210 PS, stiffened the suspension, flared the rear arches over wider wheels, and added the now-iconic "ducktail" rear spoiler, the first such aerodynamic aid on a production car. Lightweight Sport versions stripped out sound deadening, carpet, and even the rear seats.
The result was a road car that drove like a thoroughbred racer. With around 207 horsepower hauling so little weight, the RS could reach 60 mph in under six seconds, an electrifying figure in 1973. Those distinctive script "Carrera" graphics along the rocker panels became one of the most imitated design cues in automotive history.
Today the Carrera RS 2.7 sits at the very top of the collector 911 hierarchy. Even a well-used Touring commands well into six figures, while pristine, documented examples have changed hands for north of $1.5 million. It is, quite simply, the holy grail of vintage Porsches.
