In the early 1970s, Porsche found itself in need of a street car that would allow the fellows in Stuttgart to meet homologation rules for the Group 4 Special GT series. What resulted was the 1973 2.7 Carrera RS, a brawny brother to the 911. With its ducktail rear spoiler, big brakes, and flared rear fenders, the car was an instant classic. Indeed, the car was so popular that Porsche opted to go well beyond the 500-car minimum required for homologation, ultimately producing more than 1500 of the Carrera RS model in 1973.

Over the past 40 years, the Carrera RS has earned a reputation as the greatest dual-purpose Porsche ever produced, the very essence of balanced quickness. In 1973, however, owing to some killjoys' concerns about bumpers and emissions and excess glee, the RS was not certified for importation into the United States. And yet, somehow, four of these cars snuck across the border into the US. One of them, serial number 1309, ended up in the hands of famed race car driver and Porsche distributor Vasek Polek.