I’ll have the bitter chocolate over cork with black pin-stripe velour, please. If your thinking that’s the June flavor at your local Godiva store your wrong. It was a standard color combination during the fabulous Porsche 911 SC era. You were hooked at bitter chocolate right? Well, there is so much more to the 1978-1983 generation of the Porsche 911. These under-appreciated cars provide almost all of the performance you would ever want and at a reasonable price; the 911 SC has been a bargain for the last 15-20 years and remains one of the best buys in the Porsche 911 market today. Please step inside and have a taste.
Introduced for the 1978 model year, the Porsche 911 SC (Super Carrera) brought several upgrades to the 911 platform and with it some creature comforts and style hits as well. The chassis was fully galvanized at this point and this offered a substantial helping hand in the rust prevention department. With the SC model Porsche went away from the magnesium engine case used for the 2.7 that saw some head stud issues and adopted the cast aluminum crankcase that had been introduced in 1976 as the basis of the 3.0 Carrera on which the studs remained in the case. The rear wheel openings came standard with more flare than previous models and this now classic look continued on past the SC model into the 3.2 Carrera. This allowed for the SC to stay modern in the consumers’ eye for well beyond its production years.
A great looking 911 with a 3.0 liter engine often called ‘bulletproof”, this car offered plenty of power for the enthusiast but not too much to over power the five-speed 915 gearbox installed at the factory. Three body styles were available with the coupe, Targa and the long-awaited Cabriolet in the SC production lineup.
All of the mechanical upgrades and technical marvel make the SC a great driver but when we look at the color choices and designs that Porsche put out during this time the SC truly starts to shine. Of 18 standard colors in 1978, eight were browns or greens. Fern Green, Olive Green, Apple Green, Oak Green metallic, and then looking at the browns we are offered Mocha, Bitter Chocolate, Copper Brown, and Cashmere Beige. I can see Hugh Hefner right now in 1979 with a Cashmere Beige 911 in front of the mansion while he wears a copper brown metallic smoking jacket and hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl after party. Franco Harris likely pulled up in a Talbot Yellow over black basket weave 911 as well. Any car with Super in its model designation is a winner in my book and the interior combinations are a time capsule of cool. Oh, you want pin-stripes? How about three velour options. Lobster with black stripes, black with white stripes, or cork with white strips. That is truly fun and a love letter to the era.
All of this style is wrapped into the classic G-Series body lines we all have grown to love. Surprisingly, the 911 SCs are still found priced below the 1974-1977 mid-year 911s and also less than the 1984 to 1989 3.2 Carrera generation. They are able to keep pace with the 3.2. Carreras and even the 964s on back road drives as well as during track day or DE events. I have even witnessed many 911 SCs giving the 993 a great fight on track, depending on who is behind the wheel. The 1978-1983 Porsche 911 SC (Super Carrera) offers you exceptional style hits inside and out, a robust engine, solid drivetrain, and a price that is still below the previous generation and the next generation of 911. The Porsche 911 SC hits above its weight class and has for the past four decades. What are you waiting for? If your a collector or a driver this should be on your hit list. What flavor will you have?
