Sunroof Coupes 

From the beginning of production in 1965, the 912 was available with an electric sunroof option.  These coupes are fairly rare and are in demand.   Very early models had drain openings that directed water to the window raingutters.  Later, the drains were relocated to lead to the channels under the engine lid. Sunroof coupes 912s built from 1965-1969 912s are extremely rare, especially in 1968-1969, with less than 100 total currently listed in the Registry.

Many 912E came equipped with sunroofs, rumored at 500 (25%), with about 210 currently registered.

Soft Window Targas / Cabriolets

Porsche constructed a total of 2562 912 Targas, less than 8 percent of all 912s.  While Porsche was discontinuing the 356 cabriolet model in 1965, the Targa^® prototype was shown at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show.  On June 28, 1966 a U.S. patent (filed 9/9/65) illustrating the Targa®  with its multiple configurations was issued to "Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Jr, Boblingen Germany, assignor to Firma Dr. Ing, h.c. F. Porsche K.G., Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany."  (Click here to see a reproduction.)  Porsche's Targa assembly line started in December 1966, producing the first ten 911 Targas, and at least three 912 Targas.  912 Targas cost more than the coupes, but provided 'air conditioning' without penalizing engine performance.    

Early factory workshop manuals called the Targa a "cabriolet", but absent was the fabric top and frame mechanism.  Instead a flat "safety hoop", in anticipation of future automobile safety requirements, supported both a lift-off folding top, and a separate rear window.  (Targa means "shield" in Italian.)  Butzi Porsche decided that the rollbar should be covered with a brushed stainless steel surface.  Factory window tunnel tests demonstrated that with the top off and rear window up, interior turbulence was low, even at high speeds.  1960 racing prototypes including the 1967 Porsche 910/6 had appeared in the windows up / top off configuration (the name also acknowledged the factory's success in the Targa Floria road race.)

Targas first came equipped with flexible plastic rear windows ('soft-windows') openable with a zipper.  In September 1968, Christophorus magazine noted that with the soft-window "The safety hoop is permanent but you can achieve four variations around it, depending on whether roof and rear window are used or removed."  Take off the Targa top (fitting unfolded in the trunk) for a mega sunroof (originally called the "Targa Voyage"). Unzip the plastic rear window and you have a cabriolet with rollbar (originally called the "Targa Spyder")  The 356-cabriolet style tonneau cover shown here was a factory option.  You might leave the roof on and the back window down on blistering hot days, cold winter days, or even in a light rain.  Button it up for full enclosure in any weather.

Soft window 912 Targas were available by special order through 1969, with about 20 1969 912 SW Targas registered with us. The factory also offered a rear storage compartment that took the place of the rear seats; by some accounts this was standard for 1969 SWT's delivered to the United States as a federally mandated safety requirement.   (Soft window 911 Targas were available until 1971.)  Click here for statistics of numbers and locations of known 912 Targas and Coupes. 

Hard Windows

It appears that the fixed glass "hard window Targa" was always optional for the 912.  The 1969 Porsche factory advertisement "Fact Book" states:

"A fixed rear window is an extra-cost option.  Rear seats are included in Targas with fixed windows."

During 1968 the hard window became popular in the United States, and many soft-window Targas were converted to fixed glass (one way to tell, look under the Targa bar where two notches for the tensioning handles were located.)  Advantages of the fixed glass included lower maintenance, quieter driving, and electrically defrosting (the soft window had no provisions for defrosting, and early coupes used heated air ducts).  In 1969 ventilation slots appeared on each side of the Targa hoop, improving ventilation in hard window Targas.

Return of the Soft Window

RUF Automobile GmbH has created their 2011 Roadster, a tribute to the 1967 Porsche soft-window Targa.  An electric version is available as well.  See it on the RUF Automobile GmbH  website!

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