Forever Young

“Something completely new,” promised the press release Porsche sent out on September 1, 1965, ahead of the International Motor Show in Frankfurt: “The Targa is neither a cabriolet nor a coupe, neither a hardtop nor a sedan.” You can still see when reading these lines today how difficult it was to describe this strange new construction in a way that made sense. What could possibly be sexy about a wide, bulky roll bar that limits open-top driving?

So Porsche chose to highlight the advantages instead. Chief among them: safety. The roll bar was a design already common in racing cars. Now, for the first time, Porsche integrated it into a production road car. And the new model offered versatility too: four cars in one, thanks to the flexible roof configuration. “Finally, a truly functional high-performance convertible for safe and comfortable driving in all weathers,” Porsche announced in an ad for the new concept, leaving no doubt about its pedigree: “A robust vehicle developed for racing, designed for fast, hard driving.”

The ambitious 901 project – first shown as a coupe at the 1963 Frankfurt motor show – had included an open variant from early on, but the idea hadn’t been pursued consistently. Yet in Zuffenhausen they knew very well how important open-top models were: the predecessor 356 had been available as a cabriolet for 15 years, at times accounting for 30 percent of all sales – in Germany, no less. In the key export market of the United States, convertibles were even more popular. Still, there was great uncertainty about the best concept for an open 901. And resources at Porsche were tight in every sense.

So in late September 1962 Porsche turned to Karmann, where the 901 prototype bodies were already being built. Porsche asked Karmann to evaluate three versions: a “standard cabriolet” with a folding soft top; a variation reminiscent of British roadsters like the Triumph TR4, with a completely removable top; and finally a design featuring a fixed or even a folding “safety bar” with detachable roof panels – the direct forerunner of the later Targa solution.

Karmann was instructed to make as few changes as possible to the already completed 901 body. A meeting was held in Zuffenhausen, attended on behalf of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG, the client, by Technical Director Hans Tomala, as well as the experienced soft-top designer Gerhard Schröder and F. A. Porsche. Ferry Porsche’s eldest son had been heading the new Styling Department since 1962. Two representatives from the Stuttgart-based bodywork manufacturer Reutter, which Porsche was due to take over in December 1963, were also present.

Half a year later, the ideas had taken clearer shape. In a memo to “Mr. Porsche Jr.” – meaning F. A. – dated May 23, 1963, engineer Fritz Blaschka summarized the status of the “901 Cabriolet” project. Again, three options were on the table – the first two already hinting strongly at (...)

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“Porsche Targa – Lived Openness”