1965 Porsche 911 Coupe

What’s so special about the original 235 911s? Not much, and most of it is bad. But they are different and that was enough

by Jim Schrager

In the late 1950s, Porsche began working on what would be a new model to entirely replace the 356. The styling was based on a set of guidelines prepared by Ferry Porsche and developed by his son, “Butzi.” The new Porsche was intended to be an evolutionary design and continue in the established Porsche tradition (Dean Batchelor from the Illustrated Porsche Buyer’s Guide).

The new Porsche was designed in a remarkably short time. Its unveiling took place at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, and it was met with great enthusiasm. The new model initially carried the number 901; however, in 1965, it was renamed the 911 due to a conflict with copyrighted Peugeot production codes.

The new car featured an entirely new and larger engine than the 356. The chassis was designed with greater control and better handling in mind. The result was the creation of one of the longest running and most successful sports car models in history.

The car offered...