Porsche 911SC, 1978-1983 Must Have True Classic

In 1978 a brand new model 911 was introduced to the world with the Porsche 911SC. The Model 911SC was more refined, more driveable, more dependable and still out performed every other car in it’s class. The 911SC was Porsche’s ticket to a wider range of owners – it was designed to appeal not only to the hard core sport driving enthusiasts but also to the somewhat gentler sport touring genre.

The SC, which stands for “Super Carrera” was destined to be the last of the model 911 line as the all new front-engine mounted V-8 Model 928 was waiting in the wings to take over as the flagship for the 1979 model year – alas, it was not to be. The SC was built around the heartbeat of the classic 1974 Carrera 3.0 Turbo, an engine design that could be further tuned for performance and still be deemed practically bulletproof.

The model 911SC offered American buyers an attractive 15bhp bump over it’s predecessor the model 911S. Porsche sought to make the SC a ‘world’ car by fitting every model for every market with an exhaust emission air pump. The emissions regulator created a 20bhp loss for the Europeans when the SC replaced their 200bhp model Carrera 2.7. Porsche made compensation for the loss of power by advancing the timing of the camshafts by a mere six degrees, allowing it to pull surprisingly strong from low rpm’s – a classic feature that still graces the grunt of every Porsche on the market today.

By 1980, the model 911SC was equipped with a speedometer that read up to 160 mph and standard features that included, air conditioning and power windows which were a plus for luxury seekers, but ultimately frowned upon by enthusiasts due to the loss of power and added weight that had also become standard. Despite the added heft and waning power, the SC was still in high demand and was outselling it’s newly introduced successor, the model 928, by nearly 50%. It was now clear to Porsche that production of the model 911 should continue and with this new direction focus would be shifted toward resurrecting the legendary aggressiveness that Porsche enthusiasts were left longing for.

Power was again increased for the 1981 year model, which boasted a lively 204 horses and plenty of those famous Porsche performance tweaks to bring a smile to sport driving enthusiasts worldwide. In late 1981, a Cabriolet concept car was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This was the introduction of Porsche’s first true convertible. The Cabriolet was made available to the public in late 1982 as a 1983 model and proved to be wildly popular despite it’s premium price tag, selling out more than a year in advance. Cabriolet versions of the model 911 have been offered every year since, however the four-wheel drive option that was featured on the Frankfurt concept car was dropped before production began.

There were basically 3 special editions of the model 911SC. The first one, the ‘Martini’ edition of 1978, was identifiable by a set of side stripes similar to those that appeared on the 1976 British Motor Show 911 Turbo which was clad with the stripes to celebrate victories in the World Manufacturers Championship and the World Sports Car Championship, as well as the fourth consecutive racing season with sponsors Martini & Rossi. The stripes were so popular that Porsche quickly made them an option available to any owner as a factory or retro fit. They were usually purchased to adorn the sides of Porsche 911SC’s in Grand Prix White. So, technically, the ‘Martini’ edition was not a mainstream variant of the SC, it was a graphics option but still considered collectible by today’s classic car enthusiasts.

Finally, in 1982 the model 911 SP ‘Ferry Porsche’ was introduced as a special edition to celebrate 56 years of Porsche. This special edition was finished in Meteor metallic paint with burgundy leather interior and a ‘Ferry Porsche’ signature on the headrests. Only 266 of these now-classic special cars were built.

During it’s production run between 1978 and 1983, 911SC sales totaled nearly 59,000 units – not bad for a model that was destined for the chopping block immediately following it’s release. The fate of the model 911 was not sealed with the SC but rather revived and even further improved. The model that replaced the SC in 1984 reintroduced a designation that hadn’t graced panels of a Porsche since 1975…. the 911 3.2 Carrera. It too was destined to be a highly collectible classic. Prices today start from RM60,000 for a stored barn find to as high as RM150,000 for an immaculate restored car.