Rides from the Readers: 1971 Porsche 911T
Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.
Today’s featured ride is a 1971 Porsche 911T. This model year marked the final run of carbureted Targa 911s and, though it stood behind the 911E and 911S in performance, the 911T was entertaining and well-behaved on the streets, as befit a Porsche. In 1971, the 911T came equipped with a 2195-cc, 125-hp flat-six with two single-barrel carbs; a year later, Porsche added a 2341-cc mill (logically termed a 2.4-liter).
This particular 911 belongs to Chris Docken but first belonged to his father Tom, a pilot in the United States Air Force who loved the look and precision of Porsche cars. “Its horsepower paled in comparison to its American-muscle counterparts,” Chris says, “but its distinctive Signal Orange color turned heads.”
As Chris grew up, he begged his father to restore the car to its former glory; when the elder Docken got married and started a family, he tucked the 911 safely away in a garage 40 miles north of the Twin Cities. In 2001, Chris finally got his wish, spending a year sourcing period-correct parts for needed repairs and, a year later, commissioning a repaint in the original orange. He drove it to local shows around the Twin Cities—being careful to keep the mileage low and the car clean—while he finished college, got married, bought a house, and became a father.
“My dad passed away in December 2019,” Chris writes. “I miss him everyday but can’t help but smile as the car has become a huge hit with my daughters. It brings back wonderful memories from my own childhood—dry-shifting and making engine sounds or helping my dad wash and dry the car after a trip to the local Dairy Queen.”
