Porsche

At the September 1963 Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung in Frankfurt a prototype of the Porsche 901 was shown to the public. It was developed as a much more powerful, larger, more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356. Initially, the car was designated as the Porsche 901, after its internal project number. However, Peugeot protested on the grounds that it had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a zero in the middle. Eventually, Porsche changed the name to 911 before the start of production in September 1964. 

The 911 would become a legendary sports car with its rear-mounted, air-cooled 1,991cc flat-6 boxer engine. When 356 production came to an end in 1965, there was still a market for a less expensive 4-cylinder car. The Porsche 912, a slightly downscaled 911 fitted with the 356's 1,582cc engine, was introduced the same year as its replacement. In 1967, Porsche introduced the more powerful 911S. The first targa version, with a stainless steel-clad roll bar, appeared later that year.

In 1969, the engine was increased to 2,195cc and the wheelbase was lengthened to remedy the car's nervous handling. The 912 was discontinued, with the 914 taking its place as Porsche's entry model. Fuel injection arrived both for the 911S and the new 911E and a semi-automatic Sportomatic was added to the product lineup. Late 1971 the engine was enlarged again to 2,341cc.

In 1973 the Carrera RS was introduced to meet homologation demands. It had a 2,687cc boxer-6 engine, revised and stiffened suspension, a "ducktail" rear spoiler, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and rear wings. Later that year saw the introduction of impact bumpers to conform with low speed protection requirements of U.S. law. In 1974 the first production turbocharged 911 was introduced. The body shape is distinctive, thanks to wide wheel-arches to accommodate the wide tires, and a large rear spoiler. It was fitted with a 260hp 2,993cc engine and was known for its exhilarating acceleration coupled with challenging handling characteristics and extreme turbo lag. With a top speed of 250 km/h it was the fastest production car of its time.

1974