Even in the rarefied air of 911s, the 2.7 RS stands atop the mountain. It is arguably the most desirable classic 911 of them all, the handling standard against which all future 911s are judged. To own one is be extraordinarily blessed.

Those two little initials stand for Racing Sport – or Rennsport, in the original German – and it was built for only one reason between 1973 and 1974: homologation. Where the regular 911 had a 2.4-litre flat-six putting out a maximum of 190bhp, the enlarged engine of the RS put out 210bhp with standard Bosch mechanical fuel injection.

A slight power increase is not where the legend of the RS derives: instead, it is the almost pathological diet that saw the RS shave almost a 100kg in Sport Lightweight form. How did it achieve this? A stripped out interior, thinner gauge steel for the bonnet, roof and wings, fiberglass bumpers and even thinner glass. There was no sound insulation of any sort, no clock or sun visor and rubber mats took the place of carpeting. Aerodynamics was not left out of the equation, with flared arches to accommodate wider rear wheels, larger brakes and the trademark ducktail spoiler.

All of these modifications meant that the 2.7 RS is a seriously quick machine. 100kph comes in a mere 5.6 seconds, while the top speed is 150mph – good numbers for a fast car today. In total, 1580 RS cars were built.

Our example was originally built in February 1973 in Germany. The first owner took delivery in Italy later that year and proceeded to enjoy it for the next twenty years, including in competition. In 1993, the car moved to Knightsbridge in the UK; it would return to the continent a decade later in June 2003 when it became the property of the Vice President of the Porsche Owner’s Club of Spain. After his death, his widow sold the car on to a new owner who commited to a fully-documented restoration at BALE Motorsport in Germany.

Today, it forms the prize jewel of our outstanding collection of significant Porsche 911s, and is fully certified as authentic by Porsche Great Britain.