Porsche 911 (Original)
1964–1973 · Porsche 911 (Original) — Sports Car, Flat-6, designed by Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche.
The Story
This is the one that started it all. Unveiled in 1963 and in production from September 1964, the original 911 was Ferry Porsche’s successor to the 356 — and his son Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche gave it the silhouette that, six decades and eight generations later, is still unmistakable. An air-cooled flat-six (Hans Mezger’s design) hung out behind the rear axle, 2+2 packaging, and a shape of pure functional honesty: an instant icon. The long-hood ‘F-series’ cars (1964–73) grew from 2.0 to 2.4 litres, and the line peaked with the 190-PS 2.4 S — the most coveted of the early cars. Every 911 since is a refinement of what Butzi drew here.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Sports Car class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche
Grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and son of Ferry, ‘Butzi’ gave the 911 its enduring silhouette and the 904 its purist racing form. In 1972 he founded Porsche Design, extending the design language into watches, eyewear and industrial products.
Studio Motors POV
The original, and still the blueprint. A long-hood 911 — ideally a 2.4 S — is the foundation stone of any serious Porsche collection; buy the most original, best-documented car you can.
The Engine
Air-cooled flat-six
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 911 (Original)
Worth Knowing About the 911 (Original)
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It was almost the '901' — Porsche built 82 cars under that name before Peugeot, which trademarked three-digit names with a central zero, forced the change; Porsche simply swapped the 0 for a 1. 2) The earliest cars used the Type 901 five-speed; the 2.4 cars moved to the Type 915. 3) The shape is so 'right' that Butzi's own credo explains it — functionality translated into visual aesthetics, without gimmicks.
5 Fast Facts
- • Production from Sept 1964; the first 82 were badged '901.' • Air-cooled flat-six, 2.0L (130 PS) growing to 2.4L; the 2.4 S = 190 PS. • Designed by Ferdinand 'Butzi' Porsche — the template for every 911 since. • Long-hood F-series ran 1964–1973 (~81,000 built). • Early SWB 2.0 S and the 2.4 S are the grails (~$150k+).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Steve McQueen — his Slate Grey 1970 911S, the car he drives in the opening scenes of the 1971 film ‘Le Mans,’ sold at RM Auctions Monterey for $1,375,000 in 2011 (then a record for a 911). [RM Sotheby’s / Motor Authority]
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Long-hood cars (1964–73) are the collector sweet spot, and a genuine 2.4 S or early SWB 2.0 S is the grail. Matching numbers, originality and rust history (these rust) are everything; ‘soft-window’ Targas and special colours add interest. Beware re-shelled or up-spec’d cars masquerading as S models. Buy a documented, honest example — restoring a rusty one will dwarf the saving.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Porsche 911 (Original)
- Class
- Sports Car
- Production years
- 1964–1973
- Units built
- ~2,739 (911 2.4 S: 1,750 coupe + 989 Targa); whole long-hood gen ~81,100
- Variants
- Coupe, Targa; 911 T, 911 L, 911 E, 911 S (2.0-2.4L)
- Engine layout
- Rear
- Engine
- Flat-6
- Engine family
- Air-cooled flat-six
- Displacement
- 2.4L / 2341 cc
- Power
- 187 hp
- Torque
- 159 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.5 s
- Top speed
- 143 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 178 hp/tonne · 12.4 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual (Type 915)
- Drivetrain
- RWD (rear-engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2310 lb
Questions
911 (Original) FAQ
What is the first-generation Porsche 911?
The original 911 was introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the 901, renamed to 911 before deliveries began in 1964 due to Peugeot’s trademark on three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle. The first-generation long-hood cars (1964-1973) used a rear-mounted air-cooled flat-six ranging from 2.0 to 2.4 litres, and are collectively known as the O- through F-series. Approximately 81,100 were built.
What engine does the 1972 Porsche 911 2.4 S use?
The 1972 911 2.4 S uses a 2.4-litre air-cooled flat-six producing about 190 bhp (190 PS) via Bosch mechanical fuel injection (MFI) — not twin Weber carburettors — paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. It was the most powerful standard 911 of the long-hood era.
What is an original long-hood Porsche 911 worth today?
Values vary widely by variant and year. Early short-wheelbase 2.0 S coupes (1967-1968) and the 2.4 S (1971-1973) are the grails, with clean examples trading around $150,000 and exceptional cars considerably higher. The desirability of matching-numbers, original-colour, unrestored examples has driven strong appreciation. Hagerty tracks all long-hood variants with condition-based valuations.
How does the long-hood 911 differ from the G-Series 911?
The long-hood 911 (1964-1973) retains the original slender body and thin bumpers of Ferry Porsche’s design. The G-Series (1974-1989) added larger impact bumpers and other updates. Note that the longer wheelbase (introduced on 1969 long-hood cars) predates the G-Series shift — the G-Series didn’t newly lengthen the wheelbase.
Can I source an original long-hood Porsche 911 through Studio Motors?
Yes. Each acquisition is handled as a bespoke collector transaction.
The Porsche Lineup
Explore every Porsche
911 (Original) ’64904 Carrera GTS ’64914 ’69
911 Carrera RS 2.7 ’72911 (G-Series) ’74911 Carrera RS 3.0 ’74911 Turbo (930) ’75924 ’76928 ’77
911 Turbo (964) ’90911 Carrera RS (964) ’91968 ’92911 (993) ’94911 Carrera RS (993) ’95911 Turbo (993) ’95911 GT2 (993) ’95Boxster (986) ’96911 (996) ’97911 GT3 (996) ’99
911 Turbo (996) ’00911 GT2 (996) ’01Cayenne (955) ’02911 (997) ’04Boxster / Cayman (987) ’04Carrera GT ’04911 Turbo (997) ’06911 GT3 (997) ’06911 GT3 RS (997) ’06911 GT2 (997) ’07911 Sport Classic (997) ’09Panamera (970) ’09
911 GT2 RS (997) ’10911 Speedster (997) ’10Cayenne (958) ’10911 (991.1) ’11Boxster / Cayman (981) ’12911 Turbo (991) ’13911 GT3 (991) ’13918 Spyder ’13Macan (95B) ’14911 GT3 RS (991) ’15Cayman GT4 / Boxster Spyder (981) ’15911 (991.2) ’16911 R (991) ’16718 Cayman / Boxster (982) ’16911 GT2 RS (991) ’17Panamera (971) ’17Cayenne (9Y0) ’17911 Speedster (991) ’19911 (992.1) ’19718 Cayman GT4 / Spyder (982) ’19Taycan ’19
911 Turbo (992) ’20911 GT3 (992) ’21Cayenne Turbo GT (9Y0) ’21911 Dakar (992) ’22911 GT3 RS (992) ’22911 Sport Classic (992) ’22718 Cayman GT4 RS / Spyder RS (982) ’22911 S/T (992) ’23911 (992.2) ’24911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid (992.2) ’24Panamera (972) ’24Macan Electric ’24
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