RWTH Aachen Porsche 911 2.0 Targa Designstudie - AllCarIndex

The Porsche 911 HLS Design Study is a fascinating and unconventional chapter in the story of the iconic 911 lineage. Unlike today’s trend of retrofitting old Porsches with flashy upgrades and labeling them as “reimagined,” the HLS was truly ahead of its time in exploring what it meant to rethink the 911 form. Created in the mid-1960s as a collaboration between the University of Aachen’s automotive design program and coachbuilder Hans-Leo Senden—whose initials give the car its name—the HLS was born from academic design models brought to life in full scale.

Displayed at the 2017 Techno Classica Essen on the Early 911S stand among pristine, collectible 911s, the HLS stood out for its peculiar and ungainly design. Its proportions and lines seem to clash rather than flow, offering a stark contrast to the elegance of its better-known contemporaries like the Miura or the 250 GT Lusso. More fantasy prototype than refined grand tourer, the HLS looks more like a Matchbox oddity than a showroom dream.

Yet, this car represents more than just unconventional styling. Built on 1965 Porsche 911 underpinnings, it embodies an era when experimentation was a legitimate path toward innovation. It’s a rare artifact from a time when young designers and small coachbuilders were free to push the envelope—even if the results weren’t universally beautiful. Whether or not the project had official backing from Porsche remains unclear, but that detail alone could dramatically influence its value.

For collectors, especially those seeking rare curiosities to round out a serious Porsche lineup, the HLS could be more than just a conversation starter—it could be a piece of design history. While it may not appeal to purists or performance-driven drivers, the HLS Design Study is an important reminder that the Porsche 911 has always been a canvas for creativity, not just conformity.