The 1973 Carrera RS is certainly at the top of the list of must-haves in the Porsche collector community. The history of this wonderful design is well known: With the discontinuation of the FIA’s Prototype category and a new emphasis on production-based cars, Porsche needed a new racing platform. Prompted by the inability of 911s to compete on equal terms with modified, lightweight BMWs and Ford Capris, Porsche’s Ernst Fuhrmann and Norbert Singer put their heads together and envisioned a better 911. The Carrera RS was the product of their imagination.

Built on the platform of the 1973 2.4-liter 911 S, the Carrera RS was fitted with a new 2.7-liter engine developing 210 bhp with mechanical fuel injection. Almost every item, inside and out, that was not necessary for racing was removed to reduce weight. Several body panels were made of thinner-gauge steel, supplemented by aluminum and fiberglass, and thinner window glass was often installed. The RS used wider wheels and tires, so fenders were gracefully flared. To help pin the new RS to the ground, a new rear-deck spoiler, commonly referred to as a “duck-tail,” was added, proving highly effective. It became standard equipment on the RS 2.7 and has become a familiar sight on many early 911s.

To qualify for the FIA’s Group 4 category, at least 500 units had to be built. Porsche would eventually manufacture 1,580 examples of the Carrera RS in three series, most being road-equipped M472 Touring versions, along with a number of M471 Lightweights intended for track use. When the RS 2.7 was unveiled at the 1972 Paris Auto Show and again at Geneva, customer demand proved overwhelming, and the first 500 cars were instantly spoken for. Today these first-series Carreras are highly sought after by Porsche collectors, with top-quality examples commanding a significant premium.

A majority of the Carrera RS 2.7s extant today have been restored, many acquired in a condition that was less than optimal and requiring lengthy reconstruction. Here is a “first-series” RS Touring, the 293rd chassis completed. The Porsche Certificate of Authenticity notes that the car left the factory in December 1972 painted Grand Prix White with blue graphics and trimmed in Black leatherette. It was fitted with optional headrests, seat belts, and a pair of auxiliary high-beam halogen driving lamps mounted in the horn grilles.

According to the Fahrzeugbrief, the German vehicle registration supplied with the car, 0293 was delivered “Unwaxed” (without Cosmoline on the underbody) to Nordheim in Dusseldorf, West Germany, in early January 1973. It was then sold to Franz Bisping of Münster, who held the car until 1976, when it was sold to Gianfranco Revertria, also of Münster. The third owner is listed as a Michael Starke, again of Münster, in 1979, after which it was brought to the United States through Portland, Oregon, by Kathryn Ekar of Olympia, Washington, in 1986. The following year, ownership changed to a Massachusetts enthusiast, Steven C. Shap, who sold it in turn to Lawrence D. Emig in 1990.

The most recent owner, John Dixon of Taj Ma Garaj, acquired this RS on 14 May 1998, with recorded mileage at 108,798 kilometers. A mechanical inspection determined that the engine needed a rebuild, which was undertaken by Die Werkstatt in Dayton, Ohio, in 1999. In 2000 Dixon commissioned a cosmetic restoration by GK Restorations in Florida, which included the installation of lightweight door shells and a new front-latch support panel. A detailed repair invoice totaled $17,800 in parts and labor. Although the RS was partially reassembled, the car remains unfinished.

The original Type 911/83 engine has been rebuilt but has not been installed. The original Type 915/08 transmission was replaced at some point with an un-numbered unit of the correct type, with casting number 915301102012. It was rebuilt by Stuttgart Automotive in Dayton. There are new Bilstein shocks and struts and a strut support bar in the front trunk. The interior has been restored with a new headliner and carpeting, but the sport seats, reupholstered in leather, have not yet been installed. A new wiring harness was supplied by YnZ. The Fuchs alloy wheels were re-anodized and painted by Ernie’s Alloys in Miami.

This unfinished project is supplied with nearly a dozen boxes of mechanical and trim parts, as well as the removed window glass, new rubber seals, hard and soft oil lines, correct new batteries, mirrors, badging and decals, and miscellaneous hardware. There is a comprehensive file of restoration photographs and other paperwork, including repair and restoration invoices, an inventory list of parts, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, import documents, and magazine articles. There is a correct 1973 911 driver’s manual with RS supplement, maintenance booklet, and other items in a correct maroon vinyl slipcase. Please refer to an RM Sotheby’s representative for a detailed list of included parts.

Here is a perfect opportunity for a determined collector to complete the project as-is, or to start anew. An early-series RS 2.7 Touring would be the star of any collection; most of the pieces to this unfinished puzzle are at hand.