Can someone please tell me what the "SC" in 911 SC or 356 SCstands for?!!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by Milu
PERIOD documentation please.

Oh please. Since the word comes from the horse's mouth, i.e., Porsche's website, please demonstrate to us that Porsche adopted the popular jargon after the 911SC was discontinued and the Carrera became the base model.

A notarized letter signed by Piech would be accepted.

[Milu]

A notarised letter from Dr Piech would help but at the time of the SC I believe he was at Audi VW, not Porsche. So far the highest authority quoted seems to be Paul Frere. Until anything stronger comes up that is good enough for me. If there is a case, surely the believers can offer more proof than a recent UK website?

Porsche themselves in the mid 90s went through a period in their used car ads in the UK of calling Carreras SCs. This at a time I was looking for a Carrera. When I phoned interested in one of their cars I asked about that and the young saleslady I was dealing with insisted it was a "sports coupe". Organisations themselves are not immune from falling into popular error. Please submit Period Porsche references that the SC was called the Super Carrera. Your request that I demonstrate that the jargon (not popular jargon, as that implies generally accepted)was adopted after the event is patently ridiculous.

If it makes you feel good to call your car William, George or Super Carrera please do so. For the informed it remains an SC.

[ChrisBennet]

I came across this in my archives today:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Steve Boorman
To: 911@porschefans.com
Subject: What does 'SC' mean? (lengthy!)

RE: What does 'SC' mean? (lengthy!)

Hello there fellow PFANS....

I am sorry to raise this topic into the limelight once again but some
of you across the pond might be interested in an article that was in
the October issue of the Trading Post produced by the Porsche Club
Great Britain for which I am a member.

I quote a report written by John Pozniak who organizes the 911 SC
register....

"There is a belief that SC stands for Super Carrera, or possibly
several other things. I am not certain one way or the other. In order
to clarify the issue I contacted Porsche Cars at Reading. I quote
from the letter I received, in reply, from Steve Walker, Customer
Relations Adviser....

"After some lengthy checking we are able to confirm that in fact the
letters "SC" have little meaning. In 1977 the two 911 models produced
at the time (not including the Turbo) were a 911 2.7 and the 911
Carerra 3.0, these models were discontinued for the 1978 model year
and replaced by the 911 SC. The only explanation that we can offer is
an extract from a book called "The Porsche Book - a definitive
illustrated history." This book is written by Lothar Boschen and
Jurgen Barth. I enclose a highlighted copy of an excerpt from this
book."

Except from "The Porsche Book - a definitive history" by Lothar
Boschen and Jurgen Barth.

"The suffix SC means that the car lies somewhere between the 911S and
the Carerra".

Lothar Boschen was a former Porsche employee, subsequent author and
publisher, now deceased. Jurgen Barth will be familiar to many as
Porsche, Manager Customer Motorsport and liaison with the FIA also as
a Porsche race driver.

Steve Kevlin at Cornbury House (home of PCGB) has been most helpful.
he has used his contacts both here and in Germany to help get a
definitive answer. I quote from a fax received from Steve.

"I have today spoken with Porsche AG's equivalent to 'the horse's
mouth'. Jurgen Barth confirms that many people do believe that the
term "SC" is an abbreviation of "Super Carrera". When you consider
this on a factual basis it is patently nonsense, as even the most
ardent 911SC fan would never suggest that it was a "Super" version of
the car it replaced (Carerra 3.0) or the version which pre-dated it
by 5 years (the 2.7 Carrera).

Jurgen's suggestion is that porsche were simply taking a lead from
their own history and, when looking for a model identifier, opted for
the same term used on the 356 model in the years 1963-65.

It is perhaps worth considering that over the years Porsche used
other model identifiers which defy any logical application of the
"appropriate" words, eg "A" for 356, "T" for 911. In addition, it is
also worth stressing that the term 911SC was not new in 1978. The
official model designation for the 2.7 carrera of 1973 is shown in
the Porsche spec. books as 911SC, with official engine designation of
911SC-F.

I believe this supports the view that "SC" does not necessarily mean
anything in particular. That such an emotive term as "Super Carrera"
fits the bill is convenient, but is not correct - and that is from
the horse's mouth!".
Steve Boorman
'88 911 Coupe

[pyite20v]

Well thanks for clearing that up once and for all. Too bad my friend won't pay me now though