Few sports cars carry a legacy as mythical as the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Widely regarded as the ultimate expression of the early air-cooled 911, it was a machine born strictly out of competition necessity that unintentionally laid the foundation for decades of Porsche track-to-road dominance.

Offered via RM Sotheby’s with an estimate between $700,000 and $900,000, this pristine 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring represents one of the most desirable, collector-grade examples of the iconic ducktailed homologation special in existence.

From Homologation Risk to Global Icon

It is hard to believe today given the staggering popularity of the RS 2.7, but back in the early 1970s, Porsche executives were genuinely terrified the car would flop.

Developed to satisfy FIA Group 4 competition rules requiring 500 street-legal production cars, Porsche’s own marketing department famously expressed severe doubts about its commercial viability.

“Considering the extremely spartan equipment necessitated by weight requirements, and having seen and driven the car, we do not believe that we can effectively market the car under normal circumstances,” wrote the marketing team to engineering director Ernst Fuhrmann at the time.

Porsche’s executives could not have been more wrong. Debuting at the 1972 Paris Motor Show as the first 911 to wear the legendary “Carrera” moniker, demand exploded overnight.

Porsche ended up producing 1,580 units for the 1973 model year—more than three times the homologation requirement.

While roughly 200 buyers opted for the featherweight M471 “Lightweight” spec, the vast majority—1,308 buyers—chose the M472 “Touring” specification, which retained vital interior comforts while losing none of the car’s blistering performance.

The Holy Grail “Silumin” Engine Block

While any Carrera RS 2.7 is an immediate trophy for a serious garage, this particular chassis (delivered new to Italy in June 1973) holds a secret weapon that elevates it above almost every other example: it is one of the final 100 RS 2.7s ever built.

* Model: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 "M472" Touring
* Engine: 2.7-Liter Flat-Six with Rare "Silumin" Aluminum Block
* Matching Numbers: Retains Numbers-Matching Original Engine
* Exterior Color: Factory-Correct Tangerine (Code 2323)
* Interior: Black Leatherette with Perlon Corduroy Inserts
* Estimated Price: $700,000 - $900,000 USD (RM Sotheby's)

Because it was completed as part of this final changeover batch, Porsche fitted the car with a sand-cast “Silumin” aluminum alloy engine crankcase rather than the standard magnesium block used earlier in production.

This evolutionary shift solved key endurance racing durability issues and formed the foundation for the legendary RSR race cars that followed.

Today, knowledgeable collectors value these rare aluminum-block cars even higher than the ultra-spartan Lightweights due to their sheer rarity and bulletproof mechanical reliability.

Factory Tangerine & Restored Excellence

Acquired by its current consignor in 2013 and offered from an extensive private Porsche collection, the car is presented in breathtaking, expertly restored condition.

It retains its numbers-matching 2.7-liter engine and is finished in its eye-searing, factory-correct shade of Tangerine (code 2323) over a period-perfect Black interior with Perlon corduroy seat centers.

Specification	Details
Auctioneer	RM Sotheby’s
Estimated Price	$700,000 – $900,000 USD
Delivery Market	Italy (June 1973)
Spec Code	M472 Touring (1 of 1,308 built)
Engine Block	Sand-Cast “Silumin” Aluminum (Final 100 Run)

Whether destined for historic rallies, vintage motorsport events, or taking center stage in a world-class collection, this 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring—estimated between $700,000 and $900,000—is a true monument to air-cooled Porsche heritage.

---