The Targa has had a peculiar history. Somewhat unloved among 911s, its original development derived from Porsche’s sense that constricting safety regulations eventually would render the convertible obsolete. Those concerns never quite materialized, but Porsche still has continued to produce the Targa, even if there have been various times during which it was not available or, as was the case with the 993, was altered significantly before being shelved entirely. But the Targa recently has been revived and I applaud Porsche for returning it to its original design (I really didn’t like the 993 version). The model remains less loved than its Coupe and Cabriolet counterparts, yet still provides an interesting compromise between the two, and for that I hope it continues to be produced! The example we see here comes from near the end of the most prominent model run: a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, located in Washington state, with 120,000 miles on it.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa on eBay
Year: 1988
Model: 911 Carrera Targa
Engine: 3.2 liter flat-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 120,000 mi
Price: Buy It Now $29,950
Up for sale is my 1988 Porsche Carrera Targa, G50 transmission. ONE registered owner since 88 with ONE Porsche mechanic since new. All major and minor service have been done at T.A.G. Motor Werks in Gaithersburg, MD http://www.tagmotorwerks.com/invoice/ you can view all of the service records for the car by putting the VIN into the search. Feel free to contact the shop to discuss the car. The last service was on 4/8/14 for $1254 to look over the car before the Original Owner sold it. The Porsche currently has 120K total miles, averaging less than 5,000 miles/year. The car has been respectfully driven and is in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. All service records, owner’s manuals, window sticker, tool kit, tire compressor, jack, etc are included. Targa top has been reconditioned with high grade canvas, similar to a Cabrio top and does not leak. Tires are 90%, brakes stop like they should. The Targa has been sitting in my garage for the past 3 months and hasn’t dropped any fluids on the floor. There are a few rock chips and minor scratches mostly repaired with touchup paint. The worst paint defect is on the driver side rear fender where there was a 1″ scratch that has been repaired with touch up paint, shown in pictures. The paint is very presentable and has a high gloss. I was told it is mostly original but cannot officially confirm what is original and what has been re-sprayed. The interior is in excellent original condition. The only part of the interior that isn’t original is the CD player. The interior looks like a One Owner Porsche should look. I bought the car from a Broker last June in hopes to keep it for a few years, enjoy it, drive it then sell it as it increased in value. That plan has changed since my wife got pregnant with #2, so the Porsche has got to go. I searched 6 months before buying this 88 and hate to sell it because One Owner is very hard to find. I am looking to get what I paid for it so someone will get a nice price on this great Carrera.
Please feel free to email with questions.
As driver-quality 3.2 Carreras go this one isn’t priced too badly, especially for a 1988 model. I’m not quite sure why the seller refers to the car as a one-owner car when clearly he seems to be the second owner. Perhaps this is simply a matter of semantics related to titling and registration, but the seller isn’t the original owner so it isn’t one owner. Regardless, it looks in good shape and while neither the paint nor interior have that pop that we like to see with pristine examples, for a driver-quality model this is generally the sort of condition that we can expect. If it can come through with a good PPI, then for a shade under $30K this is a decent value on the current market, especially for fans of the Targa.
-Rob
