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For a buyer thinking about his first Porsche we still come back to the 3.2 Carrera and 911SC as the ideal models from which to choose. Both still represent good value since driver-quality examples in very good condition can still be found without too much trouble and each gives an interested buyer a chance to experience the mystique of the air-cooled Porsches that are so prized by enthusiasts and collectors alike. Among the standard cars, the most desirable tend to come from the final three years of 3.2 Carrera production as it is those cars that came with the upgraded G50 5-speed manual transmission. The car we have featured here is just such a car: a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera, located in Michigan, with just under 84K miles that is on auction with no reserve.
Last week we featured this M491-optioned Carrera Coupe. It sold for its Buy It Now price of $47,000, which at the time of writing I felt was high within the current market. I was wrong. It comes as little surprise then that almost immediately after that auction ended another M491-optioned Carrera appeared on the market, though this time a Cabriolet. Coincidence? Possibly, but we see this sort of thing happen often enough that I assume the second seller is capitalizing on the market, and I wouldn’t blame him. Here we have a M491-optioned 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in Connecticut, with 50,805 miles on the clock.
The Porsche 930 is a favorite of ours here at GCFSB. It helped to shape and define the legacy of the 911 during a time when the future of the model was uncertain. Unfortunately, while it was produced from 1975-1989, there was a period in which it was unavailable in the US. From 1980 until its reintroduction in 1986, the 930 was absent from the US lineup and buyers only had the standard 3.2 Carrera as an option. In 1984, however, Porsche made available the M491 option package. The M491 package was a wide-body 3.2 Carrera with suspension and braking sourced from the 930, but it retained the naturally aspirated 3.2 liter flat-six of the standard 911. So, less powerful than a 930, but with improved cornering and braking relative to a 3.2 Carrera, along with the added benefit of being less of a potential maintenance headache. Typically very well regarded and we don’t come across them too often, but we have one here: a Black on Black 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera with the M491 package, located in Ohio.
For buyers looking to get into their first 911 the choice still comes down to the cars of the late ’70s and the ’80s: either the 911SC or the 3.2 Carrera. Even as the market for an air-cooled 911 accelerates these remain reasonable bargains, especially if your goal is to own a driver quality example, rather than a collector. With either model performance is capable and promises miles of smile-inducing motoring all within the classic 911 design. The example featured here fits these parameters well: a Meteor Grey 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera located in Michigan. The mileage is high (nearly 160K) and it’s the model year prior to Porsche’s switch to the G50 5-speed manual. For a collector those facts can be problematic, but for someone looking for a driver, they may be minor.
As the market for an air-cooled 911 continues to propel itself along the number of rare 1980’s variants we see coming up for sale appears to be increasing as well. Recently, we’ve seen a fairly large number of Slantnose 930s for sale and while there have been fewer we have also come across a number of Speedsters. There is a certain irony to all of this given that in most regards the 911SC and 3.2 Carrera of the ’80s represent some of the best values in the 911 line. The Slantnose and the Speedster, however, do not as most will easily sell for six figures. Here we have a Guards Red 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster with Black interior located in New York.
