The G-Series 911 is the longest continuous 911 generation, in production for fifteen model years from 1974 to 1989. It replaced the pre-impact-bumper F-Series and preceded the 964. Across those fifteen years Porsche built five naturally-aspirated sub-generations — the 911 / 911S / Carrera 2.7 (1974–1977), Carrera 3.0 (1976–1977), 911 SC (1978–1983) and Carrera 3.2 (1984–1989) — plus the 930 Turbo (1975–1989), which shares the same bodyshell but is treated in its own valuation group in this guide.
The 1974–1977 impact-bumper cars ran the last of the magnesium-case flat-sixes. The 2.7 base 911 was joined by the 911S and, at the top of the range, the Carrera 2.7 with the 210 PS mechanical fuel-injected (MFI) engine — an evolution of the 1973 2.7 RS unit (covered in its own dedicated guide on this site). MY1974 production is well-documented at the chassis-range level: Stuttcars' G-Series table itemises 4,014 (911 Coupe), 3,110 (911 Targa), 1,359 (911S Coupe), 898 (911S Targa), 1,564 (Carrera Coupe) and 433 (Carrera Targa); the PCGB production document derived from engine totals reports 4,004 / 3,100 / 1,349 / 888 for the same four base variants — a consistent ±10 gap that likely reflects a chassis-vs-engine counting convention. Both totals are cited here without adjudication.
For 1976–1977 the range was rebuilt around the aluminium-case Type 930/02 engine. The RoW Carrera 2.7 MFI was replaced by the Carrera 3.0 with 200 PS CIS injection; the RoW 911S was discontinued and its badge retained only for the US market; the European base car became the '911 Lux'. Total Carrera 3.0 production is agreed across three specialist sources — Stuttcars, JTCars and Elferspot's article body — at 3,687 units (2,564 Coupes, 1,123 Targas). Elferspot's spec box shows 3,651 and PCGB engine totals sum to roughly 3,661; the 3,687 figure is the consensus.
The 911 SC (1978–1983) is the volume car of the G-Series and the entry point to the range for most buyers today. Total production is contested across two sources: Stuttcars' 911 SC page infobox gives 60,625 while its own production-table sum and article body give 60,265, and JTCars gives 60,740. The Coupe and Targa ran across all six model years; the Cabriolet arrived for 1983 only, and Stuttcars' two pages give 4,124 (G-Series table) and 4,187 (SC-specific table) for that single-year Cabriolet run. The SC engine (Type 930/03 / 930/09 / 930/10) is fundamentally the 3.0-litre unit with revised camshafts, Bosch K-Jetronic CIS injection and — from 1981 — an increase to 204 PS; from 1980 all SCs used the airbox that made the notorious 1978–1979 airbox failure obsolete.
The Carrera 3.2 (1984–1989) is the most-produced G-Series sub-generation and the last of the classical air-cooled 911s before the 964 chassis rebuild. Total production is genuinely contested and no fourth research round will resolve it: JTCars gives 70,044, Elferspot's spec box gives 76,473 (35,670 Coupe / 19,987 Cabriolet / 18,468 Targa), and Stuttcars' G-Series table sums to approximately 80,383. This guide reports all three totals in the range 70,000–80,000 rather than picking a winner. The Coupe (K-Jetronic / DME Motronic 2) ran across all six model years; the Cabriolet from 1984; the 1989 Speedster (widebody dominant, 171 narrow-body per Stuttcars) closed the generation. The G50/00 five-speed replaced the 915 gearbox from MY1987.
The 930 Turbo (1975–1989) is treated as its own strand within this guide. Total 930 production is generally given as approximately 21,600 cars: the 3.3-litre total of 18,770 (1978–1989) is well established, while published figures for the 3.0-litre cars (1975–1977) range from 2,819 to 2,880. The intercooled 3.3 arrived for 1978 with 300 PS DIN; the US withdrawal of 1980–1985 for emissions, the 1986 US reintroduction with Targa and Cabriolet body styles, and the 1989-only Getrag G50 five-speed are the market inflection points. Sonderwunsch Flachbau (M505/M506) and Werksleistungssteigerung (WLS 330 PS) options carry independent premiums.
A G-Series buyer needs to approach the car first as a body-and-provenance purchase and only second as a mechanical one. Rust in the wheel arches, sills, longitudinals, battery box, and Targa and Cabriolet A-pillars is common across all fifteen model years. Correct-colour repaints without a paper trail materially reduce value. The 3.0/3.2 and 3.3 Turbo engines are robust in original condition but expensive to rebuild once neglected. Porsche Classic Certificate of Authenticity (COA) has become the decisive market signal for engine and specification originality; cars without one trade below their apparent condition regardless of sub-generation.
The G-Series is the definitive impact-bumper 911 — fifteen model years, five naturally-aspirated sub-generations and the 930 Turbo, all on a shared bodyshell. It is the entry point to air-cooled 911 collector ownership (via the 911 SC) and the platform for the market's most sought-after air-cooled derivatives (Carrera 2.7 MFI, Carrera 3.2 Speedster, 930 Sonderwunsch cars).
