This 930 really takes us back to the ’70s. Sitting in Siena Metallic over Tan this 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera shows us where Porsche’s iconic Turbo began. This particular 930 began life as a US market car, but has subsequently found its way to Britain where it still resides. The 930 brought a bit of dramatic flair to the 911 line with its widened rear and whale tail, not to mention the much increased power all still being delivered only to the rear wheels. Porsche had certainly showed this kind of drama in its racing builds and translating those efforts to the street seems to have worked quite well.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera on 4 Star Classics
Year: 1977
Model: 911 Turbo
Engine: 3.0 liter turbocharged flat-6
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 76,680 mi
Price: £99,995 (~ $129,518)
MODEL HISTORY
The Porsche 911 Turbo began its development life in 1972 as a need to homologate the car for racing. It would have then been marketed like the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS as a street legal racecar. When homologation rules changed during the Turbo’s development Porsche decided to continue building anyway and place the car as a fully equipped top of the range variant of the 911.This was not Porsche’s first experimentation with turbochargers as they had started using the technology back in late ‘50s race cars. It was Ernst Fuhrman who was in charge of development for the Turbo. With the valuable experience and success gained with the turbocharged 917/30 CAN-AM racing car (1,580hp in qualifying trim!), Ernst Fuhrman set about adapting the technology to the 3-litre flat-six from the Carrera RS 3.0; the project internally named the 930. The result was 260hp from the original 3-litre turbo engine with a 330hp 3.3-litre intercooled version introduced in 1978.
With a significant hike in power over the standard naturally aspirated 911 Carrera, the Turbo 911 received revised suspension, larger brakes, and a stronger four-speed gearbox. To aid grip and stability the Turbo featured a ‘whale-tail’ rear spoiler providing more downforce, plus bigger rear wheel arches that were filled with wider wheels and tyres.
The 930 hit the showroom in 1975 and production continued to 1989. The car was fast; at the time of its introduction it took the crown of the fastest production car available out of Germany. However with the characteristics of a short wheelbase, rear wheel drive, rear-engined car, it required driver skill to extract all the performance it was capable of.
EQUIPMENT
Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, Fuchs wheels, Leather seats, Electric sunroof, Limited slip differential, Rear speakers, Chrome trim, Blaupunkt radio/cassette, 5 Band graphic equalizer, Electric windows, Headlamp washers, Blue tinted glass, Clock, Cigarette lighter, Carpet mats, Lockable glove compartment.EXTERIOR
Finished in Sienna Metallic this 930 looks every bit the seventies icon. With its voluptuous flared arches and trademark whale tail, the car has a distinguished presence indeed. Having resided in a dry climate until late 2014, the Porsche remains solid and corrosion-free.We understand the car had a full re-paint quite some years ago, and is now showing its age with some notable imperfections to the body and paintwork. Despite this all panels line up just as they should, with all glass and lenses clear and crack-free. What’s more, the rubber trim largely maintains a fresh appearance, having resisted the urge to dry out in the hot sun.
INTERIOR
In keeping with the period aesthetic the interior is finished in tan throughout. According to the Certificate of Authenticity the car originally featured tartan cloth inserts, although presumably these were replaced in favor of full leather upholstery. Either way, the seats present remarkably well and show few signs of wear.On closer inspection the instrument cluster remains in excellent order with absolutely no damage or peeling to the dials. The dash is free from any major distortion and is complete with a period Blaupunkt cassette deck and corresponding five-band graphic equalizer, replacing the ashtray.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
The engine is a turbocharged 2994cc flat six. Unlike the subsequent 3.3-litre variants there is no intercooler. A total of just 2,819 three-litre 930s were produced between 1975 and 1977, making this one rare 911.The engine is original to the car, and has covered less than 77k miles to date. It starts with a purposeful roar and idles calmly up to temperature. However, given its limited use over the last 30 years a level of recommissioning will be required before the vehicle can be truly enjoyed.
WHEELS, TYRES & BRAKES
The 16-inch Fuchs alloy wheels really help to set the 930 off. Finished in black with polished rims they certainly look the part, although as with the rest of the vehicle they are not without blemishes. They are shod in a matching set of Pirelli Cinturato P7 tyres with ample tread remaining.HISTORY FILE
The Porsche was first registered on the 28th January 1977. Residing in California it remained with the same owner from 1983 until the time of its export in 2014; a raft of paperwork including US title documents confirms this. Since arriving in the UK the car has been fully registered and is now present with a V5C and clean MOT until April 2017.Present in the history file is a stack of paperwork documenting much of the Porsche’s life, although evidence suggests that it has been driven little over 2,500 miles in 29 years; this is verified by several US emissions test certificates, an Experian Auto Check report, and a Speedometer Calibration Certificate dated October 1987. The car is also present with its Porsche document holder, Blaupunkt radio instructions, and ‘Turbo Carrera’ handbook. An official Certificate of Authenticity denotes the factory specification, colour scheme, and numbers.
The condition here is a bit of a mixed bag. Much of the paint looks good (at least in pictures) but there are also a number of spots that show the car is in need of a repaint. The engine too looks like it could use some freshening up. The interior, on the other hand, shows quite well. That may be due to the seats being reupholstered, but either way it looks good. It no long wears its original tartan seat inserts, which is too bad. All told this looks like a decent early 930 that needs some cosmetic work. I think you’d have to really be seeking out this color to go through the process of bringing it back to the States, but with the Pound having fallen quite a bit lately the asking price of right around $130K isn’t too bad. These remain some of the most valuable of the 930s, this one just needs to be brought back into shape.
-Rob
