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911.SHOWCASE
Porsche 901

Porsche 901

1963–1964Coupé

The debut car, shown at the Frankfurt IAA on 12 September 1963 as "Porsche 901" — 2+2 seating, a 130 PS dry-sump flat-six, rack-and-pinion steering, MacPherson struts and semi-trailing arms, all wrapped in a body 120 mm longer and 70 mm narrower than the 356B, with a 111 mm longer wheelbase. At the Paris Salon in October 1964 Peugeot objected to the three-digit-with-zero-middle designation it held in France, and Porsche renamed the car 911 everywhere rather than run two names. Porsche USA's model history records that 82 units were built as 901, though Porsche Museum collection manager Alexander Klein has said that figure is a long-standing error carried over from a misread early record, and that far fewer cars actually wore 901 badges.

SpecificationsSound: Porsche 911 R (1967)Edvvc · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons (opens in a new tab)

Unofficial fan showcase · media licensed per asset

Specification plate

Numbers as published

Every figure below is quoted from the sources listed at the foot of the page. A dash means the number was never published — it is never estimated.

Engine

1,991 cc

air-cooled SOHC flat-six, Typ 901/01, dry-sump — the production engine of the first 911s

Power

130 PS

0–100 km/h

—

Not published: True count of 901-badged cars — Porsche's official 82 is disputed by its own museum (Hagerty interview with Alexander Klein)

Top speed

210 km/h

130 mph)

Weight

1,030 kg

quoted dry weight for the 2.0-litre car)

Drivetrain

Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive

Transmission

5-speed manual (Typ 901)

Production

82 units

per Porsche's own model history; Porsche Museum's Alexander Klein disputes this figure (see description)

Body styles

Coupé

3D viewer

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Paint

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Wheels
StockSportTurbo

No 3D model on file for this variant yet.

Gallery

7 views of the Porsche 901

Click a frame · Esc closes · ←/→ move

Watch

3 films on the Porsche 901

Variant-specific films first, then the curated set for the generation. Every player is an embed that loads on click.

  • Generation · The Wheel Network

    Porsche Historic Footage – Porsche 911 Prototype and Premiere at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show

    archival footage of the 901 Frankfurt debut that created the 911

  • Generation · 9WERKS TV

    Porsche 901 prototype: the second-oldest surviving 911 of all time!

    factory-original 901 prototype, the car Peugeot nearly stopped

  • Generation · Petrolicious

    This 1968 Porsche 911L Was Just A Dream

    series-two longhood 911L, the best of the very early 911s

Compare

Set it against its neighbours

911 2.01964–1967Same body, same eraPorsche 9121965–1969Same body style911 R1967Same body style
Compact specification comparison between the Porsche 901 and 911 2.0, Porsche 912, 911 R
SpecPorsche 9011963–1964911 2.01964–1967Porsche 9121965–1969911 R1967
Years1963–19641964–19671965–19691967
Engine1,991 cc air-cooled SOHC flat-six, Typ 901/01, dry-sump — the production engine of the first 911s1,991 cc (2.0 L) air-cooled SOHC flat-six, dry-sump, Typ 901/01 (Solex 40 PI carburettors, Typ 901/05 with Weber 40 IDA3C from mid-1966)1,582 cc (1.6 L) air-cooled pushrod flat-four, Typ 616/36, detuned 356 SC unit1,991 cc air-cooled flat-six, Typ 901/20 twin-plug racing engine with twin ignition, 12-terminal distributor, Weber 46 IDA3C, magnesium crankcase
Power130 PS130 PS90 PS210 PS
0–100 km/h—0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) 8.3 s — Porsche factory figure quoted by stuttcars; no official 0–100 km/h figure exists0–100 km/h 13.5 s (porsche.com)—
Top speed210 km/h210 km/h183 km/h—
Weight1,030 kg1,030 kg—810 kg
Drivetrain — identical across all carsRear-engine, rear-wheel driveRear-engine, rear-wheel driveRear-engine, rear-wheel driveRear-engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission5-speed manual (Typ 901)5-speed manual (Typ 901), optional 4-speed Sportomatic semi-automatic from 1967/684-speed manual, 5-speed optional4-speed manual
Body stylesCoupéCoupé · TargaCoupé · TargaCoupé
Production82 units per Porsche's own model history; Porsche Museum's Alexander Klein disputes this figure (see description)82 cars built as 901 before the rename; 4,636 coupés and 986 Targas built as short-wheelbase 2.0 (stuttcars)More than 32,000 built April 1965 – July 1969 (Wikipedia); porsche.com states around 30,74520 cars in 1967 (Wikipedia); one dealer production list gives 19
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Sources (4)

  1. Model 901 — Porsche USA Classic (opens in a new tab)
  2. Porsche 911 (classic) — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
  3. 901: Inside Porsche's three-year effort to resurrect its oldest 911 — Hagerty (opens in a new tab)
  4. 60 years of the Porsche 911 — Porsche Newsroom (opens in a new tab)

What the sources do not settle (2)

  • True count of 901-badged cars — Porsche's official 82 is disputed by its own museum (Hagerty interview with Alexander Klein)
  • Which chassis numbers carried 901 badges — not established

Credits

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