Quote:
Originally Posted by milt
proved this beyond speculation. Consider this, what does the L stand for on the 911L?
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I thought it was for Luxe.
Wasn't a more luxurious version of the 911 only produced for 1 year? (1968)
A quick google search revealed this... (gets confusing)
The 911 L was only produced in 1968. The L stood for "Late" (as in late model). The 911 L had the same 130 horsepower as the regular 911. It was also the most expensive of the 911s, since the 911S was not available in the US in 1968.
There were only 449 cars builts with this designation and they all have production dates well after October 1967. This is contributed to engineering & mechanical failures (specifically, the front suspension and transmission). The engineers in Stuttgart, Germany, re-engineered the problem areas and built the remaining 449 cars and subsequently released them for sale (Thank you to James M. Wallace for the pictures and Marc Griesenbrock for the historical background).
and some further searching says this....
The US 1968 911L's had quite an interesting history. 1968 was a year that Porsche refused to export the legendary 911S due to US smog laws. In it's place, they exported a standard 911, as the entry level model and a 911L as the "lexus" or luxury model replacement for the 911S . The car was essentially a 911S without the 911S 170+hp motor. Interestingly enough, the chassis numbers for US 911Ls are actually 911S chassis numbers. This is confirmed in Porsche documentation. And when looking specifically for 911L models you will find that the chassis numbers listed in most books are confusing. Porsche refers to the chassis numbers on "standard" 68' 911 models as "911L US" coupe and targa even though they are not "L" models. For the powerplant, the 911L was given a 130hp 2.0L flat-6 motor with Weber 40IDA carbs, EGR and smog pump (Delco, GM) that was run from a pulley on the left camshaft. The left chaincover was modified to allow for the smog pulley much the way the early solex fuel pumps were placed on the first 901s. It is unique in that it is the only 911 engine with this "feature". Of course, the joke back then used to be that the car ran better and passed the smog tests with the pump off! This is the biggest reason why most 68' models had their engines replaced or highly modified at some point in their lifetime. Mechanics just couldn't get the smog and EGR systems working well and so they would just throw up their hands and often install a later model motor that ran better or just comletely removed all the smog gear. Some interesting touches that make 68's unique are things like side marker lights at all 4 corners (this car had them removed). They were last minute installs mandated by US DOT regulations as the cars were imported to the US. 68's also had a very unique door panel design and interesting 2 piece dash that only existed for that year. The "elephant hide" embossed vinyl, offered on the 911L as an option, is another very rare feature as it was never offered on any other 911.
So this is indeed confusing...