50 years ago, Porsche began the development of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and initially build 500 examples to homologate the car for Group 4 racing regulations for Special GT cars. Famously debuted at the 1972 Salon de l’Automobile (Paris Motor Show), the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was an instant hit. All 500 vehicles had sold just weeks later. Similarly, the PUMA Suede is an emblematic piece of PUMA history - originally debuting with only 307 pairs to celebrate Olympian Tommie Smith’s competition number.
The 911 Carrera RS 2.7. became a road-approved vehicle for customers who also wanted to participate in racing events. It was the first 911 to be christened “Carrera” – the crowning glory of the Porsche range. The suffix is a reference to Porsche’s success at the classic Carrera Panamericana Road race in 1954. While the “RS” makes it clearly that the car was made for racing and rallying, the “2.7” represents the engine displacement. A seamless blend between style and performance, the RS 2.7 with its spartan specification was built with speed in mind from the outset. The most distinctive feature of the fastest German production car of its day (top speed 245 km/h) is the rear spoiler, popularly known as the “ducktail”.
