Car of the Week: Porsche 911 SC 3.0 Targa
Everyone wants an air-cooled 911. The SC is the one that quietly makes the most sense.
This week's Car of the Week is a 1980 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 Targa, an ex-Swiss car finished in brown over a beige interior and available at Auto's Van Beurden in Turnhout with 200,543 km and a full service book. Looked after by enthusiasts and kept in the dealer's own workshop since 2011, it is exactly the honest, useable air-cooled 911 that so many people dream about.
SC: the air-cooled 911 that learned to behave
The SC arrived in the late 1970s as the sensible, dependable 911. Its aluminium 3.0-litre flat-six, fed by Bosch K-Jetronic injection and paired with the 915 manual gearbox, made the car more reliable and easier to live with than the earlier, more highly strung 911s. This one is listed at 204 hp, which in a car this light is more than enough to feel quick, and it still delivers that unmistakable air-cooled character. It is the version enthusiasts often land on once they stop chasing badges and start thinking about actually driving.
Targa means open air without the wobble
The Targa body gives you the best of both worlds: a removable roof panel for open-air driving, with the safety and structure of that signature stainless steel hoop behind your head. Drop the roof, thumb the flat-six into life and let the rear-driven chassis do its thing, and you have one of the great analogue driving experiences, no screens, no filters, just steering, sound and feel.
A documented life, not a garage-queen myth
What makes this SC easy to trust is its paperwork. It is an ex-Swiss car with a fully completed service book, partly backed up by maintenance invoices, and it has been serviced in the seller's own workshop since 2011. The 200,543 km on the clock might scare the nervous, but these engines were built to cover big distances, and everything here points to a car that has been used properly and cared for the whole way. It rides on the right original Fuchs alloys and comes with a heated windscreen, tinted glass and a fresh inspection.
Key details
Year: 1980
Mileage: 200,543 km
Engine: air-cooled 3.0 flat-six (K-Jetronic)
Power: 204 hp
Transmission: 5-speed manual (915)
Drive: rear-wheel drive
Colour: brown with beige interior
Warranty: 12 months (dealer)
Location: Auto's Van Beurden, Turnhout
Price: €65,911
AutoNext Take
We will be honest: an air-cooled 911 sits near the top of almost every AutoNext wish list, and the SC is the version we would actually buy. It has the analogue steering, the flat-six howl and the Targa's open-air theatre, but with the aluminium engine and the documented history that make it something you drive rather than just polish. At €65,911, a fully booked, workshop-maintained SC is a lot of 911 for the money.
The mileage will scare the timid, and that is their loss. These cars were made to run, this one has been cared for the whole way, and it wears its history with pride rather than hiding it. Buy the myth if you like. We would rather buy this one and use it.
View the Porsche 911 SC 3.0 Targa on Gocar.be
