Taking advantage of modern materials, advanced chassis design, and all-new styling, the 993 911 Targa adopted an insulated glass roof that extended from roof frame to roof frame and slid back when used. Yes, for 28 years thousands and thousands of Porsche 911 models rolled down the roads of the world with the classic Targa top and it wasn’t until the Type 993 Porsche 911 that everything changed. The removable rear window and removable center roof section would remain a fixture of the Targa until 1993. They caved and it stuck, and before anyone could question what Targa actually meant, the deed had been done.īy the way, Targa means “number plate” in Italian. Legend has it that the Head of Domestic Sales, Harald Wagner, simply asked why they couldn’t just name the new vehicle “Targa”. Porsche needed a name for this new type of vehicle and after some back-to-forth discussion within the product development and marketing teams, the term Targa was derived from the Targa Florio, a Sicilian road race where Porsche had much success in the 1950s. Roll the side windows down and boom, cabriolet.
To achieve the Cabriolet effect, the roof above passenger’s heads was able to be removed, along with the rear glass just ahead of the rear-mounted boxer engine. Porsche, always one to innovate, sought to solve this unique challenge by developing a vehicle that had the feeling of a full convertible (cabriolet for Europeans) but had a fully integrated roll-over bar built right into the structure of the vehicle. In the 1960s, there was a battle raging in the United States between those who wanted to drive performance vehicles with the top down, and the insurance companies and lobby groups who believed these types of vehicles were death traps.
We’re going to cover the history of the Porsche 911 Targa to learn more about what makes it one of the most incredibly unique and incredibly desirable vehicles on the planet. Bestowed upon the 911 lineup since 1965, the Targa has become one of the beloved versions of the 911, and for good reason. A cabriolet experience, without, well, the cabriolet style top.Įnter the Porsche Targa, the world’s first and only safety cabriolet and one of the most unique driving experiences anywhere on this planet. They say life is all about compromises but what if you could have the open-air sensations of the shrieking aria that is a Porsche flat-six, but you didn’t have to worry about the open-air compromises of safety, wind buffeting, or general discomfort.
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