66 chassis number search

[210bhp]

Does anyone on Ddk own a Rhd 66 911 within the chassis number range 304703- 304955 ?
This would be a build date right at the end of 66MY production, June to August 66.
Thanks for looking.

Regards
Mike

[spillers]

My 911S is 305328 and registered in August 1966 (other numbers suggest build mid 1966) so the range you are searching for could be earlier - unless there is a difference between the 911 and the 911S

[210bhp]

Thanks John,

Yes, it's a late 66 911 I'm hunting just before your own very early 67MY. I doubt there is a Rhd car of the type I'm looking for. It's a 911 de luxe like MT's (lhd) which appears to have been listed as an exclusive model alongside the 911 normal for about two months and sold at a different price inbetween the 911 and the newly announced 67S (yours). The were just over 200 made and so far the only survivors are all lhd.

Regards
Mike

[IanMcLeod]

There were no AFN cars in that range Mike so you could be right that none were made in RHD. Last AFN 66 car was 30462* and was built in April and picked up from the factory in Stuttgart. The first AFN 'Normal' car was 30541* (well known car GVB 911D) and was built in August.

Ian.

[210bhp]

That's great information Ian as usual. Thanks very much.

Interestingly the price list for Porsche at the London motor show in October 66 lists four models and four different prices, the 912, the 911, the 911 de luxe, and the new 67S. If it were never intended to be sold in Rhd it must be a slip up or a copy from the US list with UK prices.

One or two of the de luxe models sold in lhd in the US appear not to have left the showrooms until late 66, ie well into the 67MY. It was a tarted up normal (what today might be called a facelift model although there were no panel differences) so there is a slim chance a Rhd might have been sold in late 66. With only 200+ converted though I doubt if it made economic sense to do just one or two rhd's.
Looks like lhd only.

Regards
Mike

[redrobin911]

The last 1966 RHD 911 I have on my database is 304624

[IanMcLeod]

Mike, this might be of interest to you.

I have 6 RHD AFN cars between chassis number 30381* (made Feb 66) and 30417* (made April 66) that are marked as '911 Deluxe Coupe'. All the other 1966 cars are marked '911 Coupe' and then from 67 model they are marked '911 Normal Coupe'. 2 of the cars were made in Feb and the other 4 made in April.

These six cars are the only ones I can find marked '911 Deluxe Coupe' for 1966 or 1967.

What is really interesting are the import dates and sales dates for these cars.

4 imported in July 66, two sold in Nov 66 the other two selling date is missing.
2 imported in Dec 66, one was sold in Jan 67 and the other in Feb 67.

So I think these cars did exist in RHD and the price list at the motor show is pukka. It is your chassis number range that was out for the RHD cars, hence me not making the connection immediately.

Ian.

[MT]

Meant to pm oops!

[davep]

I must say that this is a fascinating revelation. Mike's serial range is bang on for the Kardex marked "1967 Deluxe"; most likely these are all LHD. However, Ian's six RHD cars are very early VIN's by comparison. On the other hand the importation dates are very similar to those for the later deluxe models. Perhaps these six RHD chassis were held back for some reason. I would REALLY like to see the '911 Deluxe Coupe' designation written in the records you have.

[210bhp]

Ian

That is tremendous information and thanks again for posting. These facts really support what is 'presumed' to have happened in late 66 production at Porsche. The presumption is that there was a concern about the number of 66MY bodied cars that were going to remain unsold upon the introduction of the 67MY cars in August 67. The information available suggests that 200+ 66MY cars were converted to 'de luxe' to help move them on. They were given the de luxe designation at the factory and those words appear at the top of the Kardex or build sheet. From what I've read the 'extras' offered were fairly minor and probably kept that way so as not to detract from the 'new' 67S about to be launched. To give the de luxe a boost in sales it was more expensive than the normal model and could be argued that it was indeed a separate model in the Porsche line-up and yet not as expensive as the new 67S so that it did not dent those sales. I would say that is was a pretty well thought out strategy and one that just about worked. As you pointed out it still took well into the 67MY to sell those last couple of 66 de luxe models in the UK.
I wonder if any of those 6 Rhd cars still exist today. It would be a nice boost for any of the current owners to find that they had an early 911 that was just a little bit special.

Dave

I think Ian only has a sequential list of Rhd cars. If we can discover one of these cars still exists then the owner could apply for the Kardex and then we might you see the words 'de luxe' heading up the sheet.
The only other way I think we can get confirmation is to take one of Ian's Rhd de luxe chassis numbers and get a mole in the factory archive to go and check out the build sheet........

Regards
Mike

[redrobin911]

Yes - very interesting.

It's not too hard to get a Kardex and I have a couple of sources - just need the VIN number and I can let you know what the cost is. My own Kardex 303567 doesn't state 911 coupe? What sort of "extras" were included in these de luxe models? Have any of extras in the LHD de luxe range been catalogued anywhere?

[davep]

I would think that Ian's AFN records are somewhat independent of the Kardex records, and as such could add a little bit more to the historical record. I can ask my friends in Australia if there are similar notes for any cars in the Hamilton records. It would be nice to be able to pool all this info into one record and get a better picture.
I can obtain a Kardex in a few days when requested. I have nearly 200 in my files, and the patterns emerging are interesting.
The Kardex for the Deluxe models do not state what extras are included to elevate the model status. There is a big thread over on the Early 911S Registry for the Deluxe model.

[IanMcLeod]

Mike. If you are able to source a Kardex I can provide you with one on the UK chassis numbers. Just PM me.

I have also put a note in the next Porsche Post to see if there is any one out there with a UK chassis number car. You never know.

Ian.

[210bhp]

Mike. If you are able to source a Kardex I can provide you with one on the UK chassis numbers. Just PM me.

I have also put a note in the next Porsche Post to see if there is any one out there with a UK chassis number car. You never know.

Ian.

Thanks Ian

I will follow this up and I'll be in touch if progress is made.

Regards
Mike