Porsche 911 2.0L (1965)

When the ‘911’ arrived in 1964, it replaced the 356, a car that had elevated Porsche as a brand and found countless homes the world over. The eagerly awaited ‘Type 901’ introduced a 2.0 flat-6 producing around 130hp at the time, two cylinders up from the 356 4cyl. That car would be renamed the 911 by the end of 1964 and the “911” would go on to become the most successful sports car ever built, the One-Millionth 911 rolled off production in May 2017. In motorsport, various versions of the 911 have won at every level including the Le Mans 24 hours. And in 1964 no sooner than the first cars been delivered they were competing all over the world; popular on the Ice in Sweden, in rallying - including famously at the Monte Carlo, and of course on the circuits, where owing to two small rear seats the cars qualified for both Sports, Touring and “Saloon” classes. There is no better testament to the versatility of the 911 than in the case of “GVB 911D”. This special 911 was the showroom demonstrator of Porsche’s UK concessionaire, AFN and one of the first four 911s ever to turn a wheel in the country. Vic Elford commandeered the car and took part in the inaugural British rallycross event where, despite competition from the likes of the great Roger Clark in a Cortina Lotus, he took victory – In a standard road car! This car and Vic Elford would then go on to win the British Saloon Championship in the same year. The 911’s place in Motorsport royalty was already firmly cemented.

In recent years the SWB 2 litre 911 has proved a versatile car in historic motorsport, always at the front of any 2 Litre Class, whether at the Spa 6 hours, the Masters “Gentleman Drivers”, the GT and Sportscar Cup and so many more - aside from eligibility, the cars “easy to run” reputation and ability to still be used on the road or for Tours and rallies such as the Tour Auto and the Modena Centro Ore have made them favourite amongst rallyists as well. Add to that list their iconic shape and one of the most enjoyable driving experiences of any historic racing car and it's not hard to understand why these cars have always had a strong following, but in 2020, for one single reason, the 2.0 911 is now the historic racing car to buy; “The 2 Litre Cup”

Formed in 2018 the 2.0L Cup has taken the historic motor racing scene by storm. The headline championship sees a field of close to 40 identical pre-66 specification 911s take to several high profile European race events and circuits. The series is organised by Patrick Peter of Peter Auto along with several key partners, all with extensive experience in the marque. Tuthill Porsche, Maxted-Page and newcomers, Sports Purpose have worked together to create a fiercely competitive race series attracting a wealth of professional drivers and gentleman drivers alike. Each event sees a 40-minute practice session followed by 30 minutes qualifying and a 90-minute race. With the option for 1 or 2 drivers, the series uses a unique driver grading system, allowing gentlemen drivers to complete on a balanced and level playing field. The 2.0L 911 provides the purest 911 driving experience, a fantastic amount of track time and a completely useable road car in one complete package.

‘Stripey,’ as this example is affectionately known, was the very first 2-litre 911 built by the masters; Tuthill Porsche. Going back to the earliest days of Tuthill Porsche, Stripey was prepared and campaigned extensively on the historic rallying scene. Taking part in the Millers Oils International Historic Rally Leeds 1995, the car was piloted by Brian Bell and Tom Watson moving up from 23rd to finish in 10th against other notable drivers including Jimmy McRae, Ake Andersson and Lars Thorell.

The car changed hands and spent time in the USA before returning to their Wardington HQ in 2018 for a strip down and preparation and reconfiguration for the 2019 2 Litre Cup including a full rebuild of the engine, gearbox and suspension. The car competed in four of the Six rounds of the championship proving itself to be reliable and undoubtedly fast, as proven when driven by James Cottingham alongside the previous owner in 2 rounds of the 2019 championship. A similar Tuthill run car won the 2019 Gents Championship and the 2020 overall championship at the hands of our own Harvey Stanley and his teammate and friend of DK, Richard Cook. And this car was driven by DK's James Cottingham on several occasions in 2019, which means that we really can confirm the car is of front running pace.

Following on from a successful season, this example benefitted from a full service over the winter downtime with Tuthill, additionally receiving a new manifold, exhaust system, discs and pads and in 2020 we sold the car to the current owner, who due to Covid restrictions amongst other things has not been able to use the car as intended and the car has only seen road use in his period. The necessary maintenance and racing upgrades have been taken care of by Pursuit and Tuthill Porsche. Presented in its distinctive Metallic Silver with red and blue stripes livery. This fantastic car is the ideal opportunity to skip the build queue and get out and enjoy racing, irrespective of your level of experience. This car is also further eligible for the Equipe GTS, Spa 6Hrs (which it did 2019), the Masters Gentleman Drivers & The GT and Sportscar Cup.

Photo Credit Nat Twiss & Matieu Bonnevie