And the tad confusing ‘Sunroof Delete’? Well, despite having it down as an accessory, Porsche listed the sunroof as standard on the 911SC. But without it – as in the car we have – you get an unbroken roof, with a gorgeous rolling look, and a firmer chassis.

Buyer / Seller Questions? 310-975-0272

So now it is all about the ride. In 1978 when the 911SC went on sale, powered by a 3.0 liter flat-six, Porsche had sold some 190,000 cars in the USA: around 40,000 of these were 911s. And when the 911SC arrived, it was intended to be the last ever 911. The plan was that it would be overtaken by the front-engine, rear-wheel drive 944, introduced in 1982. Although sales of the 944 were extremely healthy – the 944 for some time was the most commercially successful sports car produced by Porsche – you couldn’t keep the 911 down: continuously refined, it kept reappearing, as though from some secret launchpad in the soul of motoring enthusiasts.

It is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission and a 3.0-liter air-cooled Flat-six engine. Additional equipment includes fuel injection, four-wheel disc brakes, single exhaust outlet, VDO-branded instrumentation, Bosch headlights with chrome rings, front fog lights, rear rubber bumperettes, front/rear spoiler, 3-spoke steering wheel, Michelin tires, Fuchs-style wheels, tool roll, and spare tire in the front trunk. Additional convenience features include manual-crank windows, driver-side rearview mirror, cigar lighter with an ashtray, glove box, dashboard analog clock, Sony radio, door pockets, fender-mounted antenna, and sun visors with a vanity mirror on the passenger side. This example comes with the manufacturer’s literature.

It is a highly desirable air-cooled Porsche 911SC Coupe that has been with the same owner for many years and is mechanically sound.

And the flared rear wheel arches were a carry-on from the Carrera. Chrome trim came as standard.

But in the mid-1970s the 911’s upward trajectory had been trammelled by how its engine power had become strained by U.S. emissions regulations, not to mention the visually unfortunate impact bumpers requisite from 1974 onwards.

Once aimed at the hardcore motoring fans who had first taken to the original 911 when it was introduced in 1963, the 911SC was part of the rebranding of Porsche: the company was looking to broaden its market, seeking out customers looking for a car that was exciting but also with a reputation for utter drivability – a pleasure to get behind the 911SC’s steering-wheel. In part, Porsches since the mid-1970s carried the cachet of status-symbol, which would only become set in stone as time progressed, taking a quantum leap in popularity during the second half of the 1980s.

And these thoughts are not just with the benefit of hindsight. Reviewing the then new Porsche 911SC in the March 1 1978 issue of CAR AND DRIVER, David E Davis wrote rapturously: ‘It is the fastest normally-aspirated Porsche, 0–60, that we have ever driven. It does the quarter-mile in 14.8 seconds at 94 miles per hour, and the factory (which is usually conservative in these things) rates its top speed at 136.

It is almost 46 years since that review was penned. Yet it is so apposite it could have been written today.

The 911SC is another incomparable Porsche.

-Alex Manos, Owner