A special collector's car: the value development of the rare oil-flap 911 T, E and S, with findings for collectors and investors and a forecast. Supplemented for the June 2026 update by the Classic Data market values 2011 to 2026 (via Zwischengas) and 99 documented sales from the MarqueScope SOLD archive.
The Porsche 911 oil-flap cars are a special and sought-after variant in the history of the legendary sports car. In 1971 and 1972, just under 10,000 examples of the 911 T, 911 E and 911 S were built with one particular design feature: the oil filler neck was moved out of the engine bay to the outside of the car, and now sat behind a flap of its own on the right-hand B-pillar.
This change was meant to make topping up the oil simpler, because the engine lid no longer had to be opened. But it also created an unintended problem: the position of the oil flap resembled that of a conventional fuel filler on other cars, which occasionally led to confusion. Owners and filling station attendants alike put petrol into the oil filler in ignorance, which caused severe engine damage.
That problem led Porsche to return to the conventional position of the oil filler in the engine bay as early as model year 1973. The oil-flap cars thus became an exclusive rarity, one that collectors particularly value today. The distinguishing feature is the characteristic oil flap on the right-hand side of the car near the B-pillar, from which these cars take their unofficial name.
2,341 cc
2.4-litre flat six, air-cooled
to 190 PS
911 S Ölklappe
10,000
cars in total, just under
99
documented sales first registered in 1972 (as at June 2026)
Production numbers and model variants
Three power levels
911 T Ölklappe
The base model · 130 PS
The largest production run: around 6,920 cars
List price 1971/72: DM 24,300 (around €12,400)
911 E Ölklappe
The middle model · 165 PS
Production: around 2,091 cars
List price 1971/72: DM 25,700 (around €13,200)
911 S Ölklappe
The most powerful model · 190 PS
The rarest variant: only around 989 cars built
List price 1971/72: DM 27,300 (around €14,000)
The short production period of only two years and the relatively low numbers, on the S in particular, contribute substantially to the collector value of these cars today.
Technical specifications
All three oil-flap cars are based on the 2.4-litre flat six introduced in 1972, which replaced the previous 2.2-litre engine.
Feature
911 T
911 E
911 S
Engine type
Air-cooled six-cylinder flat engine
Capacity
2,341 cc
Power
96 kW (130 PS)
121 kW (165 PS)
140 kW (190 PS)
Weight
around 1,050-1,100 kg (depending on model and specification)
Top speed
around 205 km/h
around 215 km/h
around 230 km/h
0-100 km/h
around 8.1 seconds
around 7.5 seconds
around 7.0 seconds
Value development and market position
Important findings for collectors and investors
Over recent decades the oil-flap cars have seen remarkable value development, clearly above average inflation.
Classic Data condition grade 2 market values for the Coupé variants (via Zwischengas, as at May 2026), October 2011 to May 2026, supplemented by the median sale prices of documented sales first registered in 1972 from the MarqueScope SOLD archive (June 2026, Coupé cells with at least 8 sales). For context: Classic Data treats the 2.4-litre cars as a 1971-1973 series; the curves apply to that series as a whole, and the oil-flap model year 1972 is part of it.
The most important market phases +
Sideways, 2011 to mid-2013: the grade 2 figures barely move (911 S Coupé: steady at €63,000; 911 T 131 PS Coupé: €42,800 to €45,500)
Boom, 2013 to 2016: between the August and November 2013 tables, Classic Data raises its valuations sharply; by mid-2016 the grade 2 figures have gained 100 to 151 per cent against mid-2013 (911 S Coupé: €63,000 to €158,000; 911 T 131 PS Coupé: €45,500 to €107,000)
A high plateau, 2016/17: every series apart from the 911 T 140 PS marks its all-time high in 2016/17 (S Coupé €158,000, S Targa €151,000, E Coupé €109,000, T 131 PS Coupé €107,000); the T 140 PS sits steady at €91,500 from mid-2015 to 2017
A stepwise retreat, 2018/19: down 8 to 10 per cent from the peaks by mid-2019 (S Coupé: €145,000)
A sharp correction in 2020: between the November 2019 and June 2020 tables, Classic Data cuts its valuations by around 12 to 15 per cent (S Coupé grade 2: €145,000 to €125,000); the only exception is the T 140 PS, whose figure stays practically unchanged at €84,000 to €84,500; 2020/21 runs sideways
Recovery, 2022 to May 2023: up 8 to 21 per cent from the 2021 level to the interim high in May 2023; the S and E gain considerably more (S Coupé: €125,000 to €147,000) than the T series (T 131 PS Coupé: €86,000 to €93,000); at €92,000, the T 140 PS is the only series to reach a new all-time high
A falling market since mid-2023: by May 2026 the series have lost 11 to 14 per cent (S Coupé: €147,000 to €131,000; T 131 PS Coupé: €93,000 to €79,700); at around minus 11 per cent, the S series holds up a little better than the T and E at around minus 14 per cent
June 2026: the median sale prices of the documented 1972-registered sales sit clearly above the grade 2 market values and in places close to grade 1; that reflects prepared dealer cars in top condition and does not contradict the falling market trend
Classic Data market values, condition grade 2 (2011-2026)
Market values for cars in condition grade 2 (good, free of faults) from the Classic Data price tables, retrieved via Zwischengas (as at May 2026). Important for context: Classic Data treats the 2.4-litre cars as a 1971-1973 series; the figures apply to that series as a whole and include the oil-flap model year 1972. Classic Data lists the 911 T at two power levels: 131 PS corresponds to the European carburettor version of the T 2.4, 140 PS to the fuel-injected version. One data point per year is given, at mid-year (2011: October, 2025: July, 2026: May). "Peak" means the highest annual data point for that series since October 2011.
Model
2011
2016
2020
Peak (year)
May 2026
since the peak
911 T 131 PS (1971-1973) Coupé
€42,800
€107,000
€86,000
€107,000 (2016/17)
€79,700
-25.5%
911 T 131 PS (1971-1973) Targa
€44,500
€102,000
€82,500
€102,000 (2016/17)
€76,400
-25.1%
911 T 140 PS (1971-1973) Coupé
€43,000
€91,500
€84,500
€92,000 (2023)
€78,900
-14.2%
911 E (1971-1973) Coupé
€46,500
€109,000
€86,500
€109,000 (2016/17)
€88,400
-18.9%
911 E (1971-1973) Targa
€48,700
€104,000
€83,000
€104,000 (2016/17)
€85,700
-17.6%
911 S (1971-1973) Coupé
€63,000
€158,000
€125,000
€158,000 (2016/17)
€131,000
-17.1%
911 S (1971-1973) Targa
€61,000
€151,000
€115,000
€151,000 (2016/17)
€124,000
-17.9%
Source: Classic Data market values (condition grade 2) from the tabular price histories, retrieved via Zwischengas, as at May 2026; annual data points are our own. The steep rises of the boom phase stand exactly so in the source tables: Classic Data raised its valuations markedly between the August and November 2013 tables (T 131 PS Coupé grade 2: €45,500 to €78,000), and on the T 140 PS the step followed between March and June 2014 (€45,700 to €75,500). Notably, the T 140 PS was the only series not to be cut in the correction of early 2020 (grade 2: €84,000 in November 2019, €84,500 from February 2020); its peak therefore falls in 2023, while every other series marks its peak in 2016/17.
Documented sales: MarqueScope market data (as at June 2026)
99 documented sales first registered in 1972, from the MarqueScope SOLD archive (October 2025 to June 2026). Important for context: the platform labels (911 T, E, S) carry no displacement. Assignment to the oil-flap cars (2.4 litres, model year 1972) is therefore made through the 1972 first-registration year as an approximation. At the edges a model-year blur remains: some early-built model year 1972 cars were already registered at the end of 1971 (not included here), while first registrations from the autumn of 1972 may already belong to model year 1973, without the oil flap. Of 135 recorded listings first registered in 1972, 120 carry a price; after merging relistings of the same car (19 redundant multiple listings, among them one T Targa listed eight times) and excluding two cars that could not be assigned unambiguously, 99 counted sales remain. Prices correspond to the last recorded asking price of the car sold.
Variant
Sales
Median
Range
Median km
Days on market
911 T Coupé
19
€108,700
€49,000 - €239,000
68,500
47 days
911 T Targa
21
€89,911
€46,900 - €189,000
32,412
23 days
911 T (US) Coupé
5
€105,000
€89,000 - €114,634
98,000
58 days
911 T (US) Targa
6
€107,475
€56,450 - €124,900
50,636
144 days
911 E Coupé
4
€105,500
€64,900 - €150,000
92,844
45 days
911 E Targa
11
€94,996
€50,000 - €179,900
45,250
120 days
911 S Coupé
16
€163,725
€99,000 - €350,000
15,419
24 days
911 S Targa
17
€169,000
€69,000 - €269,000
17,694
25 days
Records labelled "Cabriolet" (a body style the long-hood never had from the factory) are, by their own listings, Targas and are assigned to the 911 T Targa row; "(US)" denotes cars listed as US versions. Cells with fewer than 8 sales (911 T (US) Coupé and Targa, 911 E Coupé) are only of limited reliability; medians in bold stand for cells with at least 8 sales. Outliers: the lowest S Targa figure (€69,000) belongs to a car showing 10 km on the odometer; the T Targa row contains a car listed eight times and described contradictorily in the listing as a "2.0 Urmodell" with an oil flap (€87,000). Not counted: one car with no body style given (€95,000) and one Targa listed with identical mileage of 85,499 km in both the T and the S cell (€160,000/€175,000, a suspected mislabel). In individual records the free-text registration date contradicts the structured registration year; the registration year is what governs the assignment.
For dealers & professionals: This table is an extract. The full MarqueScope dashboard gives you active listings, the complete SOLD archive, days on market, price deltas and options scores for 8 premium marques, turning 3 hours of research into 5 minutes. Discover MarqueScope →
Median sale prices by variant (first registered 1972), June 2026
What the June 2026 sales data shows +
The power hierarchy holds: the S cells lead clearly at €163,725 (Coupé) and €169,000 (Targa), ahead of the T and E (€89,911 to €108,700)
No blanket Coupé premium shows up: on the S, the Targa median (€169,000) is above the Coupé (€163,725); on the T it is the other way round (Coupé €108,700, Targa €89,911)
The 911 E remains the thin middle: 11 Targa sales (median €94,996), but only 4 Coupé sales (€105,500), the smallest cell in the evaluation
The strikingly low median mileages of the S cells (15,419 and 17,694 km) suggest a high proportion of restored cars, or odometer readings reset after restoration
The highest figure in the evaluation: €350,000 for a fully restored S Coupé (first registered December 1972); the cheapest way in: €46,900 for a T Targa
Time on the market: the T Targa (23 days) and the S Coupé and S Targa (24 and 25 days) sell fastest, while the US Targa (144 days) and the E Targa (120 days) take longest
Source: MarqueScope market monitoring, export of 11 June 2026. More at marquescope.de
1. The market has been correcting since mid-2023, but it is not levelling out +
Between mid-2013 and mid-2016 the Classic Data grade 2 market values at least doubled (911 S Coupé: from €63,000 to €158,000). The peaks of 2016/17 were followed by the stepwise retreat of 2018/19, the sharp correction of 2020 and a recovery to May 2023. Since mid-2023 the figures have been falling again: in May 2026 they sit 11 to 14 per cent below the interim high of May 2023 and 14.2 to 25.5 per cent below their respective peaks. The gradation between the variants holds throughout: S ahead of E ahead of T.
Conclusion: Not a crash, but a buyer's market with falling guide values. At the same time, the June 2026 median sale prices show that the best cars are still being paid for close to grade 1 level. Anyone who buys substance stays ahead in the long term.
2. Coupé above Targa in the guide values, Targa scores on accessibility +
In the Classic Data guide values, the Coupé has sat consistently a little above the Targa on all three model lines since 2012; in May 2026, though, the gap is only around 3 to 6 per cent (grade 2: S €131,000 against €124,000; E €88,400 against €85,700; T 131 PS €79,700 against €76,400). The S Coupé remains the most expensive car of the series and, like the S Targa, holds up best in the correction since 2023, while the T Targa is becoming increasingly interesting as a usable way in for younger collectors.
Reality check, June 2026 (sales first registered in 1972): No general Coupé premium is visible in the sales data: the S Coupé achieves a median of €163,725 (16 sales), the S Targa €169,000 (17 sales). On the T, by contrast, the Coupé is ahead (€108,700 against €89,911), and with sales from €46,900 the T Targa confirms its role as the most accessible way in.
3. The E as the strategic all-rounder +
With a balanced mix of performance, everyday usability and market history, the 911 E (Coupé and Targa alike) positions itself as the perfect middle ground with prospects. Particularly attractive: cars with MFI (mechanical fuel injection) and the original specification.
4. Market corrections open new ways in +
Since mid-2023 the Classic Data grade 2 figures have eased by 11 to 14 per cent, and the correction runs through to the May 2026 table. For investors that can be a window. History urges a differentiated view, though: after the 2020 correction it was above all the S and E series that recovered strongly (up 18 to 21 per cent by May 2023), while the T series gained only around 8 to 9 per cent.
5. Matching numbers and history continue to gain importance +
In a maturing collector market, demand rises for cars with a documented history, the original engine and the full specification as delivered. Restomods are tolerated, but originality remains the dominant factor in valuation.
Outlook and forecast
What the next few years will bring
Based on the development of the last 15 years, the following can be derived for the future.
Market and prices
Slower value development: the explosive rise in prices of 2013 to 2016 will probably not repeat itself; the Classic Data guide values have been falling since mid-2023, and no quick return to the peaks of 2016/17 is in sight
Differences by model: the clear price difference between the variants (S, E and T) will persist, and the S will keep its premium status
Body styles: in the Classic Data guide values the Coupés are consistently quoted a little above the Targas; in the June 2026 sales data, among the cells with at least 8 sales, only the S achieves a higher median as a Targa than as a Coupé. No blanket Targa advantage can be demonstrated
Structure and quality
Market maturity: the market for Porsche 911 oil-flap cars has passed the phase of large gains in value and is in a more mature phase, marked since mid-2023 by easing guide values
A focus on quality: the price difference between first-class and average cars will probably widen further, with particular attention paid to originality and documentation
Reality check, June 2026: Since mid-2023 the market trend has been downwards: depending on the series, the Classic Data grade 2 market values in May 2026 sit 11 to 14 per cent below the interim high of May 2023 and 14.2 to 25.5 per cent below their respective peaks. Even so, the median sale prices of the 1972-registered sales lie clearly above grade 2, in places close to or at grade 1 level: S Coupé €163,725 (Classic Data 1971-1973: grade 1 €179,000, grade 2 €131,000), S Targa €169,000 (grade 1: €170,000), T Coupé €108,700 (grade 1: €110,000 for the 131 PS and €109,000 for the 140 PS). That does not contradict the falling market trend: the SOLD archive is dominated by prepared, sale-ready dealer cars whose final prices sit at the upper edge of the condition scale. On body styles, the sales data confirm the Targa advantage only on the S (€169,000 against €163,725); on the E the Coupé is ahead (€105,500 against €94,996, though on the basis of only 4 Coupé sales), and on the T the Coupé leads clearly (€108,700 against €89,911). The wide spread within the cells (around €99,000 to €350,000 on the S Coupé) underlines the predicted focus on quality.
The 911 Ölklappe model bible
The complete knowledge: the Investor Dossier & Technical Compendium, in German
Detailed expert knowledge on the Porsche 911 oil-flap cars (1971-1972): production numbers, criteria for originality, market data and price forecasts for the T, E and S.
The Porsche 911 oil-flap cars remain attractive collector's cars, but the dynamics of the market have changed: the peaks of 2016/17 were followed by the cuts of 2018 to 2020, a recovery to May 2023 and, since then, falling guide values again. The following recommendations follow for anyone interested:
1. Focus on quality +
Invest in cars with a demonstrable history and originality.
2. A long-term perspective +
Do not count on high short-term returns any more.
3. The enthusiast approach +
Driving pleasure and historical significance should weigh more heavily than purely investment considerations.
4. The rarity bonus +
The limited production period of only two years will keep these cars coveted collector's pieces in the future too.
The Classic Data market values to May 2026 and the 99 documented sales from June 2026 confirm that the Porsche 911 long-hood cars with the oil flap have consolidated their position as a significant collector's car, even though the phase of exceptional gains in value is over and the guide values have been easing since mid-2023. Depending on the variant, the median sale prices range from around €90,000 (T Targa) to €169,000 (S Targa).
The data used in this analysis are based on the Classic Data price tables (retrieved via Zwischengas, as at May 2026; treated as a 1971-1973 series), the MarqueScope SOLD archive, and market observation and expert assessment. The sales data from June 2026 marked as such come from the MarqueScope SOLD archive (October 2025 to June 2026, with the 1972 first-registration year as an approximation for the oil-flap model year, deduplicated, marquescope.de). All prices can vary considerably by individual specification, condition and mileage.
