1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera

Colors I’ve never come across will always draw extra attention. On an early 930, I know I’m hooked. So what do we have here? It’s a 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera in paint-to-sample Gazelle Metallic with a nice looking and contrasting Dark Brown leather interior. The CoA hasn’t been provided here so we lack that verification, but the rarity of the color seems hard to doubt. And, really, what better way to paint a sports car than as a gazelle? Avoid the lions and you’re sure to make spirited progress! Like the Copper Brown Metallic 930 we saw last week the colors here are very much a period-correct combination, and in this case perhaps even more so. Yet each also possesses enough charm to help it excel even outside of its original vintage. This one is not quite gold, not quite brown. It is not quite like any other color I’ve seen.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1977 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera on eBay

Year: 1977
Model: 911 Turbo
Engine: 3.0 liter turbocharged flat-6
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 51,955 mi
Price: $174,950 Buy It Now

We are pleased to offer 1977 USA model Porsche 3.0 Liter 930 Turbo s/n 00142, a first generation, numbers-matching, pride-of-ownership 930 3.0 Turbo. S/n 00142 was nicely optioned from new with Limited Slip differential, exterior right side mirror, Sport seats, rear model designation delete and an electric Sunroof and was finished from new in special order Gazelle Metallic paint to Sample (99) with Dark Brown Leather (93) upholstery. Completed in September of 1976 as a non-catalyst, US Equipment model, s/n 00142 was sold new to a Mr. Siddiq of Newark, CA and only three years later, on September 22, 1980, was sold to Dr. Cartier of San Jose, CA. This collectable 930 Turbo has been a California car since new, has just under 52,000 original miles and was with its second owner, Dr. Carter, for the last thirty-five years. The original Bill of Sale and Transfer of Ownership paperwork are included in a dossier of servicing records and registration slips collected over the years by Dr. Cartier. Complete with its date-coded spare; tools and tool roll; jack; owner’s manual; Blaupunkt CR Cassette and console deck stack; its factory production sticker in the doorjamb as well as its other factory decals; records and Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. 930 Turbo s/n 00142 is still on a California Pink-Slip and is one of only 727 U.S. model 930 Turbos produced in 1977.

The 911 Turbo was originally intended to be limited-run “Homologation Special” to allow the 911-bodyshape to go racing with turbo-power and so was internally numbered by Porsche as the 930 to differentiate it from the standard 911. Porsche had to build 400 street 930s by late 1975 to homologate the 911 for Group 4 racing as the Turbo RSR/Typ 934. Introduced to the public at the Paris Auto show in Oct., 1974, 930 Turbo street car production began in the spring of 1975 and US production began in 1976. Demand was much stronger than expected, and Porsche had sold the first 400 production 930s by mid-1975 and 1,000 930 production cars by early 1976! The new 930 quickly became a cult road car, thanks to the turbo-technology from the wildly successful Porsche 917/30 CAN-AM car and adapted to the 3.0 litre flat-six from the Carrera RS 3.0. The Factories 1976 advertising slogan for the 930 said it all, “Exclusive. Explosive. Expensive.”

Pre-production conflict at Porsche was rife over the form the 930 should take; should it become a stripped-out RS-alike or should the 930 be a luxurious GT car? Luxury with performance won out making the 930 the factory flagship: a luxurious and refined car meant to effortlessly cover great distance at high speed. Power windows, user-friendly A/C and form-fitting seats covered with luxury leather were mated with high-performance turbocharging. At its introduction the Flagship 930 was the top-of-the-range 911 model and remained the top-of-line throughout its entire production duration. Fitted with a single KKK-turbo, total output was 260 hp, much more than the standard Carrera. Power was put to the ground through a revised suspension and 16 x 7 wide Fuchs front wheels fitted with 205/55 VR-16 tires and with what-was-then-outrageously-wide 16 x 8 rear wheels fitted 225/50 VR-16 Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires with wide factory flared wheel arches to increase the 911’s width; grip and road-holding. Braking was taken care of by 11.12-inch front and 11.42-inch rear vented disc brakes and power was delivered through a stronger 4-speed gearbox. A “whale tail” rear spoiler was installed to help vent more air to the engine while creating more downforce at the rear. Weight was a mere 2,641 lbs. The 0 to 60 time was 5.2 seconds and top speed was 153 mph.

930 Turbo s/n 00142 is an outstanding example of the very first Turbo and is fitted with its correct, numbers-matching engine which has just received a complete engine-and-transmission-out service by Auto Strasse in Costa Mesa CA only three months ago. The engine and transmission were inspected and the engine internals were de-carbonized. New valve cover and exhaust gaskets; a new oil thermostat; new case bolt O-rings, an oil pressure switch and a front crankcase seal were fitted. The starter motor was rebuilt. An engine sump plate; spark plugs; A/C and alternator belts; air and oil filters; engine and gearbox oil; internal ignition distributor cover; ignition coil cover; fuel filter; fuel accumulator; sound pad; engine mount washer and oil cap were installed. The fuel injectors were cleaned and tested. The distributor was serviced and the timing was reset. The rocker arm shaft was tightened. The wiring harness was checked and minor repairs done. The cylinder head stud torque settings were checked. The alternator was bench-tested. The clutch assembly was inspected and cleaned, a new pilot bearing, clutch fork shaft seal and shift sleeve bearing were installed. The rear axle spacer sleeves and seals; the front and rear wheel bearings; the front and rear rotors and pads and brake fluid were all replaced or serviced and the brake system was flushed and bled. The throw out bearing was serviced and the gas cap; the sway bar bushings; the steering column bearing bushing and the deck lid shock were all replaced. The total invoice, dated 14 July, 2016, was: $12,185.00. Copy on file.

The paint appears to be both all original and in excellent condition. The body is straight with excellent panel fit and operation and the trim is in good shape. The dark brown leather cabin remains incredibly clean, original and well preserved down to the seats, carpeting, trim, Blaupunkt CR Cassette and console deck stack. The original paint color is very beautiful, with just a hint of copper, gold and green to it. The paint is in almost perfect shape with no blemishes save for a few minor stone chips to the front. The remainder of the paintwork has no fading, is unmarked and is perfectly smooth to the touch. Even the Fuchs wheels are unmarked and even. The interior has only the slightest signs of wear to the bolsters on the driver’s seat. The front trunk carpets and everything else, from the brown rear mats with “Porsche” script to the leather covered dashboard is spotless, with slight leather shrinkage on the dash top. 930 Turbo s/n 00142 has just been obsessively detailed by Dr. Detail of Costa Mesa. The undercarriage and suspension and the wheels and wheel wells were cleaned, painted as needed and detailed. The windshield cowl; spoiler; rear bumper and engine compartment were touched up or painted as needed. A new headliner and hood pad were installed. The complete exterior and interior were highly detailed. The total invoice, dated 26 March, was: $7,660.00. Copy on file.

Porsche 3.0 Liter 930 Turbo s/n 00142 is a pride of ownership, matching-numbers example finished in the distinctive Gazelle Metallic paint with Dark Brown Leather color combination it wears today. The body and paint are in excellent condition, all panel fit is as-new, the interior, the dash and all glass and trim is in very good condition. has just under 52,000 original miles and was with its second owner, Dr. Carter, for thirty-five years. The original Bill of Sale and Transfer of Ownership paperwork is included in a dossier of servicing records and registration slips collected over the years by Dr. Cartier. Complete with its date-coded spare; tools and tool roll; jack; owner’s manual; Blaupunkt CR Cassette and console deck stack; its factory production sticker in the doorjamb as well as its other factory decals; records and Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. 930 Turbo s/n 00142 is still on a California Pink-Slip and is one of only 727 U.S. model 930 Turbos Produced in 1977. The A/C blows cold, the windows and door locks all work correctly making for an overall driving experience that reinforces why these cars are legendary: solid, balanced, and above all, communicative. This is a great opportunity to acquire a just-serviced and inspected 3.0 Liter 930 Turbo in great colors, and with great options. Has 51,955 miles, just serviced, ready to go, needs nothing and priced right at $174,950 or best offer. Seriously for sale.

Let’s start with the most obvious of this 930’s flaws: the Turbo Carrera script on the rear is comically out of place. The words should align. Weirdly, the ad states that as originally spec’d the model designation was deleted. Presumably a later owner has added it, and not very well. Of greater importance, does this hint that the rear has been repainted? The ad is a little mixed stating on the one hand that the paint is all original and then later stating that the rear bumper and engine compartment were touched up. I don’t know how much we can assume touched up implies, but the script definitely needs fixing. A little clarity on the paint would help as well. Given that this is paint-to-sample, the original paint would certainly help the overall value of this 930. The interior also is said to be original and it does have that look of being lightly used over the years. Neither this exterior nor interior color would likely be most buyers’ first choice, but combined they come together really nicely. While again the ad lacks some clarity, it does sound like the second owner, whose ownership was long term, kept good records and retained a good deal of its documentation. So where does this all leave us? The asking price is a good $40K above that of the Copper Brown 930. Aside from the problems of the model script, this 930 presents a little better and appears to have better records. That the exterior is paint to sample also works in its favor and if everything checks out the premium does make sense. As I mentioned with the Copper Brown 930, these early examples remain very coveted and have shown some resistance to the backtracking we’ve seen with the market for other air-cooled 911s. Perhaps that time is at an end and values are now coming down for these as well. Or perhaps this is another that would make for a nice value.

-Rob