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Yes, a Four-Door Porsche 911 Really Existed—42 Years Before the Panamera

A 1967 one-off four-door 911, commissioned by Texas dealer Dr. William Dick and built by Troutman-Barnes, predates the production Panamera by about 42 years.
Entry994 Date Time2 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Yes—but the 1967 four-door Porsche 911 was a one-off custom, not a factory-built production model. Texas Porsche dealer Dr. William Dick commissioned the car, and coachbuilders Troutman-Barnes modified it, according to MotorTrend. Porsche’s production four-door arrived much later: the Panamera entered series production in 2009, about 42 years after the custom 911.

Who built the four-door 911?

MotorTrend reports that Dr. William Dick, a Porsche dealer in Texas, commissioned the 1967 car. Troutman-Barnes, a coachbuilding firm in Culver City, California, carried out the conversion: the builders cut a 911 in half, lengthened it and added rear-hinged doors. It was an individual commission, not a Porsche factory model.

Porsche’s own retrospective independently confirms that a four-door prototype based on the 911 was among the company’s earlier four-seat concepts, though it does not provide the commission and builder details. That acknowledgment supports the car’s place in Porsche history; it does not make the 1967 custom a production Porsche. (Porsche Newsroom, October 16, 2019; MotorTrend)

How was the 1967 car different from the Type 989?

The four-door 911 was a private commission. The Type 989 was a separate Porsche development project: a four-door coupé conceived in 1988 with two full-size rear seats. It remained a prototype, and Porsche says development ended at the start of 1992 for economic reasons. It was not a continuation of the 1967 car or a production model. (Porsche Newsroom, April 25, 2019)

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Porsche’s retrospective accounts conflict on the 989’s engine placement: one describes a rear-engine layout, while another calls it front-engined. Because the company’s published histories disagree, its placement should not be stated as settled fact. The reliable distinction is its status: the 989 was a Porsche prototype, while the 1967 911 was a one-off custom.

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Did the 1967 911 lead directly to the Panamera?

The sources establish a chronological connection, not a direct development link. Porsche says it decided in the early 2000s to develop a four-door hatchback saloon following market studies and analysis. The company describes the Panamera as the production realization of its four-seat vision, but that does not show that the 1967 commission caused the Panamera project. (Porsche Newsroom, April 25, 2019; Porsche Newsroom, October 16, 2019)

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The Panamera made its first official appearance on April 19, 2009, and Porsche says series production began in summer 2009. From the 1967 custom to the start of production was about 42 years—the “four decades” in the headline. (Porsche Newsroom, April 25, 2019; MotorTrend)

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How the cars compare

Car Origin Date Status
Four-door 911 Commissioned by Dr. William Dick; modified by Troutman-Barnes, according to MotorTrend 1967, according to MotorTrend One-off custom
Type 989 Porsche development project Conceived in 1988 Prototype; development ended at the start of 1992
Panamera Porsche production program First official appearance April 19, 2009; series production began in summer 2009 Series-production model

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