1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa - The Car Porsche Tried to Kill (But Couldn’t)

The Porsche 911 SC Targa wasn’t meant to survive. It wasn’t supposed to rewrite history. It was supposed to quietly fade out while Porsche bet the farm on the 928 and its new front-engine future.

But as with all great icons, the 911 SC didn’t get the memo. Instead, it clawed its way into legend status - and this particular 1981 Targa is a pure, air-cooled two-finger salute to everything that tried to replace it.

This one didn’t just get lucky with its survival story. It lived a proper life. Delivered new to Jones’ Garage Five Oaks - the one and only official Porsche dealer in Jersey - it spent its early years coasting through the lanes of a sleepy island paradise.

Two owners. One island. No urban chaos. No hack jobs. Just 60,000 km of calm, cared-for motoring.

Then came a long-haul flight to South Africa in ’89 - where it wasn’t just driven, it was doted on. Regularly serviced by the Porsche specialists at Carrera Motors, this SC Targa lived a charmed mechanical life, with receipts to prove it. Over time, it underwent a meticulous restoration including the iconic Targa roof and roll bar rebuilt to factory spec by Porsche South Africa.

We didn’t stumble on this car. It was tracked down, provenance vetted, and secured in 2022. Today, it rests in our Singapore showroom - stored in a climate-controlled environment, as air-cooled classics should.

By the late ’70s, Porsche wanted the 911 gone. Too expensive to produce, too old-school, and not in line with where the market was heading.

Enter the Super Carrera - or SC - a last-ditch evolution of the OG 911. With the 3.0L flat-six (borrowed from the 930 Turbo, no less), beefier brakes, reinforced chassis, and updated suspension, the SC wasn’t just another variant. It was a rebirth.

The sales numbers didn’t lie: people still wanted the 911. And when the SC outsold Porsche’s new kids on the block, the 924 and 928, the brand had to admit they were wrong.

The result? The 911 lived. And every SC - especially one like this - became a symbol of that gritty, engine-over-the-rear-axle defiance.

Pop the Targa lid, drop into the bright beige cockpit (a rare factory contrast to that deep Wine Red Metallic paint), and twist the key. That 3.0L growls into life with its rev-happy nature, making 180hp while only pushing 1160KG.

Matched to the dogleg 915 5-speed manual, this car reminds you what driving used to feel like before the traction control nannies and dual-clutch perfectionists took over.

This one’s been cared for properly. The engine’s crisp. The shifts are sharp. The paperwork’s clean. 80s air-cooleds with this kind of rhythm still intact are a rare breed.

Wine Red Metallic isn’t your usual Guards Red or Silver cliché. Under direct sun, it throws flashes of burgundy, plum, and blood red, depending on the angle. It’s a colour that doesn’t shout - it smirks.

The 930-style ‘Tea Tray’ spoiler out back? Polarising to some, iconic to the rest of us. And the Fuchs-style wheels keep it grounded - visually and mechanically.

Inside, the front seats have been tastefully redone; the door cards and rears are original. And the Targa roof seals right, sits flush, and it doesn’t flap at speed. That matters as it was professionally rebuilt by Porsche South Africa.

Here’s where collectors should start paying serious attention.

SC Targas like this - clean provenance, low-owner, rare delivery markets - aren’t falling off trees. And market momentum has been building. Air-cooled 911s have seen values rise by 17% over the past five years from 2018 to 2023 (Source: Classic.com) with SCs in particular from collectors who’ve grown tired of the $200k 964/993 bubble. This shift reflects growing collector fatigue over the inflated prices of later-generation 964s and 993s, and a renewed appreciation for the purity and provenance of air-cooled 911s. For an insider take, MotorTrend’s recent analysis flags SCs as the "fresh wave of demand" for collectors looking to step off the six-figure bubble into something rarer, more raw, and arguably more rewarding.

Top-tier examples reaching well over $130,000. Enthusiast forums and regional markets paint an even more striking picture, noting that SC values have doubled or even tripled in places like Australia over the same period.

This car ticks the boxes:

It’s not just rare - it’s right. And that’s what makes it investment-grade.

No drama. No gimmicks. Just a proper Porsche with a story, a spine, and a legacy that matters. This SC Targa isn’t the flashiest 911 out there - but ask any real air-cooled head and they’ll tell you: this is the one that brought the 911 back from the brink.

If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, that’s fine too. This one’s not for everyone.

At Auto Icons, we curate icons like the 1981 Porsche 911 SC Targa. Curious about the full story or ready to make it yours? Connect with us via Whatsapp, email, or submit your information on the contact form. Browse our entire rare Porsche collection in our showroom.