Story by Elizabeth White @ItsWhiteNoise, photography courtesy of Valentin Breton
My car is a 1973 Porsche RS Touring, chassis no. 9113601280 and engine no. 6631257, and was previously owned by two motorsports personalities: Seignior Angiolini of the famous Italian racing team Jolly Club, and then by 2009 Formula One World Champion, Jenson Button.
Racers, and seemingly everyone else, love this car for good reason: the 1973 Carrera RS is one of the greatest “homologation specials” ever built. It remains for most Porsche fans as the ultimate 911—the RS was even a prime example to accompany others in Amelia Island’s recognition of 50 years of Porsche’s 911. Porsche enthusiasts note the Carrera RS for stiffer springs, bigger brakes, wider rear tires, and the 2.7-litre flat-6 engine rated for 210 horsepower, enough to propel the 2,150 lb. (975 kg) car from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and on to 152 mph, making it the fastest German car of the time—although the one you see here is the more “luxurious” 2,370 lb (1,075 kg) RS Touring version.
Happily, this car is a very original example. The production numbers have been checked with the factory and confirmed by the racer and archivist for Porsche’s historic department. Chassis “1280” was supplied with a fantastic list of extras to its original owner, too: a limited slip differential, headrests, sliding roof, heated rear window, retractable seat belts, drivers door mirror, fog lights, engine light, and rubber strips on the front and rear bumper. While most were sold in white, and many were bright orange or a very ’70s shade of acid green, this is tastefully finished in black with red details.
Yeah, it’s a few heartbeats slower than an RS with fewer options, but that just means you’re inspired to drive well and smoothly enough to negate a bit of the extra weight. Maybe that’s what Button liked about it…
