Origins Of A Legend: Explore The History Of The Porsche 911 Targa

Shortly after the latest-generation Porsche 911 Targa was unveiled by the German car manufacturer, the company has published a video and a series of images describing the history behind one of the most iconic 911 body styles in history.

Porsche first launched the 911 Targa in 1967. As the video describes, there were discussions in the United States around that time regarding the lack of safety features in traditional convertibles, leading some to suggest banning them entirely – something that would have hurt Porsche’s sales.

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In response, Porsche developed a new kind of body type under the direction of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The car was equipped with a prominent roll bar, a removable roof that could be stowed in the front storage compartment and a folding soft top with a heatable glass at the back .

What about the name? Well, as the head of Porsche sales between 1954 and 1988, Harald Wagner, explains, Porsche got the name from the famous Targa Florio race.

Subsequent iterations of the 911 Targa ditched the removable rear section in favor of solid glass. Interestingly, the 993-generation 911 Targa did without the famous roll bar and instead used a sheet of safety glass that could be retracted. The fifth-generation, 996 911 Targa, adopted a similar roof design, as did the 997-generation 911 Targa.

Porsche decided to go back to the roots of the Targa with the introduction of the 991-generation model in January 2014. It saw the return of the famed roll bar and, to our eyes, looks just right.