When it comes to watchmaking, classic cars have always been a rich vein of inspiration, with everything from their construction to colour schmes yielding the basis of numerous special editions. It is, however, a relatively rare occurrence to do things the other way around – Ã la Porsche Classic’s latest restoration.
In partnership with RM Sotheby’s, the German marque’s historic vehicle arm will be auctioning off a restored 911 S 2.4 Targa later this year (29 November – 14 December).
The plot twist? This particular iteration has been designed to mirror the aesthetic of the Chronograph 1 – the inaugural watch from Porsche Design, a flyback chronograph originally made as a gift for the company’s most valued customers and employees.
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Despite the confusion extending from wanton use of the ‘Porsche’ moniker, Porsche Design and its car-manufacturing sibling have always been separate entities. This year, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the former approached Porsche Classic with the suggestion to work on a collaborative project – culminating in this 911 S 2.4 Targa restoration.
Uwe Makrutzki, Head of Restoration at Porsche Classic, says that for this collaboration alongside Porsche Design, the goal was to “deliberately [take] a different approach” to the usual practice of recreating everything with as much historical accuracy as possible. “We had a lot more freedom to play with the configuration of this anniversary model. We’ve created a unique vehicle that blends tradition and present day and bears the signature of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.”
Utilising a donor car that took two years to fully disassemble, repair and repaint, this unique 911 S 2.4 Targa pays tribute to Porsche Design’s first fully blacked out watch in a number of thoughtful stylistic and technical ways. At a glance, most of the car’s external surfaces are painted in a polished black spec, while the all-matte dashboard offers the closest visual approximation to the case of the Chronograph 1.
A number of suspension components, including the iconic S 2.4 roll bar, have been finished in glossy platinum – inspired by the accents used throughout the dial of the Chronograph 1. And even casual observers will note the uncanny resemblance between the car’s Fuchs wheels and cloverleaf-shaped rotor used in the modern re-edition of Porsche Design’s first watch.
According to Makrutzki, it was the vehicle interior which posed the biggest challenge. In line with the overarching goal of making this collaboration a dynamic blend of timeless design and contemporary material, Porsche Classic was given the green light to reupholster the cabin in black-on-grey Sport-Tex: a durable material that gives this iteration of the Targa its distinctive aesthetic, with a ‘checkerboard’ pattern present on the seats; dash; and door cards.
One of the strongest restorations we’ve seen all year, it’s already estimated that this one-of-a-kind Targa could fetch upwards of US$350,000 (AU$528,701) when it hits the block at Sotheby’s New York later this month. And just to sweeten the deal: the winning bidder will also be supplied with a modern re-issue of the iconic 1972 Chronograph 1 (US$9,650) – so you can accessorise your drive with the ultimate racing machine on the wrist.
