1979 Porsche 911 SC 3.0 litre

Boosted by its continual dominance of international sportscar racing, Porsche began to target a new breed of buyer in the mid 1970s. As well as introducing its first front-engined designs in the guise of the 924 and 928 ranges, it set about broadening the iconic 911’s appeal. The first major step in this process, the SC, was launched in 1978. Intended to be more reliable, durable and refined than its predecessors, it boasted a fully galvanised bodyshell and re-engineered drivetrain. Utilising the same type 930 2,994cc flat six engine as its fearsome Turbo sibling (but in normally aspirated form), it benefited from a die-cast aluminium crankcase (the magnesium alloy equivalent used by the previous generation 2.7 litre cars was notorious intolerant of abuse) and Nikasil coated cylinder barrels. Developing some 180bhp and 195lbft of torque, the reworked unit proved notably tractable thanks to its re-profiled camshafts. Equipped with a revised version of the well-proven type 915 five-speed gearbox containing higher gear ratios, the new model was reputedly capable of 141mph and 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds. With such performance on tap few but the purists quibbled at the introduction of servo assistance for its powerful disc brakes.