The Porsche ducktail spoiler, or ducktail wing, first appeared in the historic Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in 1973. Obviously, it was born out of function rather than form, its a German car after all. Efficiency rather than beauty.
The term “ducktail” can probably be traced back to the Porsche sales department, which initially made the 911 #Carrera RS 2.7 as all but unsalable. “It looks like a duck’s tail.” for god sake! Voila, a name was born!
First presented at the 1972 Paris Motor Show, the RS was the crowning achievement in the history of the 911 series: the first car to make use of aerodynamic aids and the first car since the 356 to carry the legendary Carrera name.
The trade journal auto motor und sport was impressed: “The fastest German series-production car boasts 210 hp under the hood and thanks to the tail on the rear, looks so distinctive that no one will ever have the slightest doubt as to what car is driving in front of them.”
Ever since then, the ducktail has been regarded as a marker for special 911s, and it has never been a common sight on the world’s roads. The current 911 sports a rear spoiler that recedes into the body at low speeds and automatically emerges when the car hits 80 km/h (50 mph).
