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Red Porsches have become fairly ubiquitous on the second-hand market due primarily to their popularity in the ’80s and, to a lesser extent, the ’90s, but that popularity has not always been the case. And judging by their lack of prevalence among newer models, we may see their presence gradually wane over time. Among the earliest models they remain somewhat rare, yet they can be incredibly striking. Such is the case with the car here, a Polo Red 1968 Porsche 912, located in Indiana, with a reported 88,800 miles on it. I remain a huge fan of the 912 in general. These were the simpler, 4-cylinder, entry-level counterparts to the 911 that eventually were phased out when Porsche introduced the 911T as its lowest-cost offering. For a long time now the 912 has made for an excellent alternative to the 911 for those seeking a vintage driver for lower cost, but who still desired that 911 shape. That said, as prices for good models increase they do become a more difficult proposition. We’re still at a point where the best examples of the 912 only begin to reach the prices of a decent 911T, so we are not yet dealing with equal levels of condition, but given more time we may see an increased convergence of the market for these two entry-level Porsches.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a Porsche 912 that falls into that middle stage of the market: not a pristine collector car, but not a car in need of significant work either. That’s somewhat troubling since much of the appeal of the 912 precisely is the opportunity for getting your hands on a good vintage Porsche driver, but without breaking the bank. Entry-level Porsche at entry-level pricing. But as the market for the 912 has heated up there is more incentive to restore properly those that have been neglected, which also brings out the sellers who are less interested in putting in the time for a quality restoration. Of course, this also tends to mean that owners of the middle-of-the-road cars price them too high – a rising tide raising all boats and whatnot – but ultimately a patient buyer should eventually be able to find one for a reasonable price. The example we see here, a Tangerine 1968 Porsche 912, located in Maryland, I think falls into that latter category. It looks in good running condition and worthy of being a fun weekend cruiser, but the asking price will likely need to come down. That said, excellent examples of the 912 have slipped into $50k-$60K territory so even this asking price is well under where top examples will sell.
For all the Alpinas, AMGs and Andials we might feature, there is one German cars that has remained a favorite of automotive customizers for years: the original Volkswagen Beetle. There’s an infinite amount of ways you can go with Beetle modifications, from dune buggy to dragsters. One popular modification is the Cal Look, consisting of a lowered suspension, aftermarket wheels and sometimes removal of the bumpers. This freshly restored 1968 Beetle for sale in Arizona has shades of that style, but retains the original bumpers. Wearing a bold shade, it looks great sitting on Empi style wheels.
Here we have a Bahama Yellow 1968 Porsche 911T Coupe, located in New York, with 92,401 miles on it. I always find a 911T in an excellent color to make for an interesting auction to watch, especially when the car in question appears in good shape but isn’t a concours-quality restoration. These auctions provide us a nice sense of the current market. Added to that, we do enjoy seeing these rare colors with some patina to them, showing the effects of many years of use though also reflective of the care required to keep a car of this vintage looking sharp. As the last year of the short-wheelbase models this one also gives us a glimpse at the most advanced version of the original layout and specifications.
Here at GCFSB we pride ourselves on featuring many of the most interesting German vehicles available on the second-hand market. The particular car we see here, a 1968 Porsche 911L Soft-window Targa Police Car, surely is the most interesting car I will have featured to date. It won’t be the fastest, or even the prettiest, though it’s certainly the rarest (since we cannot get more rare than 1 of 1) and it’s definitely the most peculiar. This Targa Police car was given the full treatment: double rear-view mirrors, a red police light affixed to the Targa’s roll hoop, illuminated STOP signal in place of the rear license plate, along with the electronics to control those lights and the siren. The look was completed with Dutch-inspired Tangerine over White paint and German “Polizei” script along the doors, hood and rear deck lid. It is, quite frankly, one of the most curious 911s we’re likely to come across and that hardly even includes the fact that it is a ’68 911L Soft-window Targa, an already very rare and interesting 911 in itself. It’s fantastic!
