Every year has its unforgettable moments. Take a time machine back to 1970 and you’ll find the Beatles have split, the band Queen has just been formed, and the Porsche 917 has taken overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. One out of every three 911 models that leaves the plant in Zuffenhausen is a Targa. Five years prior, the company had presented the first Porsche 911 Targa. Not as a convertible or a coupé, and neither a saloon nor equipped with a hardtop – the Targa was the first ‘safety cabriolet’ in the world. In the mid-1960s, Porsche created the Targa to comply with tightened regulations in the US. It was outfitted with boxy bumpers featuring black ‘bellows’ on the sides. The bumpers were able to withstand impacts of up to 8 km/h without the car’s bodywork sustaining any damage. The defining feature of the Porsche 911 S 2.2 Targa was its rigid, removable folding roof. It also featured the steel rollover bar so beloved of Porsche enthusiasts. The 911 S weighed 1,020 kg and reached a top speed of 230 km/h. Under the bonnet, the 132 kW (180 PS) top-of-the-range engine featured intake manifold injection and forged pistons. The S version also offered a rear anti-roll bar and internally ventilated brake discs. The advent of the Targa almost 60 years ago ushered in not just a new concept, but also an entirely new Porsche driving sensation.

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