One to Buy: Non-sunroof Sahara Beige 1976 Porsche 911 3.0 Turbo (930)
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Having dominated the early 1970’s Group 4 GT racing scene with normally aspirated 911 RSRs, Porsche created a forced induction model for its customers to race during the second half of the decade. The 934 that emerged was based on a turbocharged 911 road car launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October 1974: the 930.
Group 4 homologation requirements of the time stipulated that, to qualify, a minimum of 400 base cars had to be produced within a 24 month timeframe. Having sold over 1500 units of the 911 2.7 Carrera RS a couple of years prior, this was a figure Porsche were confident of meeting with their new range topper.
Indeed, the 930 (more commonly known as the 911 Turbo) ultimately proved so popular that it became a permanent fixture in Porsche’s line up and went on to steal a large number of sales from the car that had been designed to replace the 911: the 928.
During the 1975, ‘76 and ‘77 model years, the 911 Turbo used a 3-litre engine, after which Porsche switched to an enlarged 3.3-litre unit.
In total, just 2880 examples of the original 3-litre version were produced and, in recent years, these early 930s have come to be regarded as even more desirable than their later counterparts. Additionally, 3-litre Turbos were often specified in a dizzying array of fabulous period colour schemes whereas buyer’s tastes seemed to rapidly homogenize heading into the 1980s.
Currently on offer at the Carugati showroom in Geneva is a fine example of 3.0 Turbo that perfectly encapsulates the ‘anything goes’ 70s era. Configured in Sahara Beige with matching leather upholstery, this Swiss market matching numbers 930 has covered 110,000km and was subject to a major restoration between 2022 and ‘23, since which time less than 1000km has been covered.
