I have really taken a liking to these early Turbos over the years. There is no one specific reason why I prefer them over the later versions of the 930, or even most of the later 911 Turbos, but it is the coming together of a variety of factors that really gets to me. Some of it comes down to appearance as the early cars, with the whale tail, appear somewhat sleaker, ever though their dimensions are the same as the later cars. They ARE lighter as the 930 gradually increased in mass during its long production run, with the early versions coming in around 300 fewer pounds than the final year 930. Add to that their historical place within the 911’s lineage and you get a really nice combination. The market has responded similarly as the first two model years (and the first year especially) have shown significant increases in value only rivaled by the final year 930, which was the only year to feature a 5-speed transmission rather than what had been the standard 4-speed. In a rare, period specific color, such as the Ice Green Metallic we see here (also known as Silver Green Diamond Metallic) these are catapulted into another dimension entirely showcasing both beauty and history in one package. That brings us to this: a 1977 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera, located in California, with 141,285 miles on it.
Tag: 930
With time many things can be mended. So just because a car was not available in our market during its years of production doesn’t mean that those same cars will never be available. Such is the case with the Porsche 930, which took a hiatus from US shores beginning in 1980 only to return in 1986. For fans of Porsche’s top model those years must have seemed an eternity. All we had were posters and our imagination. European owners suffered no such issues and by 1984 the 930 was sending 330 hp to those wide rear tires, making for pulse-quickening performance that required constant attention and offered numerous rewards for those capable of exploiting its massive performance potential. RoW cars possess a certain allure to many buyers as they possess a uniqueness that is difficult to capture and that allure always is enhanced when the car in question was not available in the US market. Thankfully the days of the 930’s absence have passed and those European models now can be found Stateside along with many examples of the original US market cars. Here we have one such European example: a Guards Red 1984 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in New York, with just 34,721 miles on it.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Porsche 930 Coupe on eBay
1 CommentThe release of the 911 Turbo was a seminal moment for Porsche and for the 911 in general. The 911 had been a well-regarded performance car produced by a marque that had begun to establish a racing history that was closely tied to the cars it produced for consumers. The Turbo was to take each of those aspects of Porsche’s identity and crank it up a few notches. The original goal was to produce a turbocharged version of the 911 to meet homologation requirements. Presumably, the resulting car would be more akin to the modern-day GT: a stripped out and lightened rear-drive Turbo with a track-oriented focus. After rules changes rendered that homologation unnecessary Porsche’s intentions for the Turbo shifted. No longer would it be a track-focused car, but rather it would now serve to showcase the refinement and luxury that the marque was capable of packaging within its highest performance machine. Thus was born the 911 Turbo that has become so familiar to us to this day. For the initial production years the Turbo relied upon a turbocharged 3.0 liter flat-six and the car we see here comes from that early period: a Silver 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera, located in Texas, with Red leather interior and 68K miles on it.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera on eBay
4 CommentsMany of us here have a strong appreciation for the 911. That isn’t a surprise, though the rising costs of even the most basic models have tended to dull some of our affections to a degree. The 911 Turbo, however, hasn’t really suffered any of that dulling effect even as values have climbed precipitously. The refrain is more one of missed opportunities at owning a car we dreamed about as a kid. We are well past the days when an air-cooled Turbo can be had relatively inexpensively, thus requiring difficult choices for those who must balance costs with their desires. For those who are searching the best option for finding reasonable cost (remember, we’re talking about air-cooled Turbos, so no 996TT) is to find a well maintained 1986 930. These still won’t be cheap, as like the rest of the air-cooled lineup values have gone up from where they were just a year or two ago, but an ’86 still looks like the best best, at least in the US market. Bringing us to the car seen here: a Grand Prix White 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in Texas, with 63K miles on it and on auction with no reserve.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe on eBay
Comments closedWe feature the Porsche 930 with a fair degree of regularity here at GCFSB as it remains a long-time favorite of a few of the writers (and it’s a particular favorite of mine). Thus we naturally gravitate toward these extremely capable machines both for their prodigious performance and also their aggressively ’80s style. Yet even given the frequency with which we come across these there are still a few that make me take notice more than might be the case with most 930s. I’ve come to realize that an example in the color palette we see here will almost always be one that grabs me. Here we have a paint-to-sample Rosewood Metallic 1981 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in California, with 71,575 miles on it. Rosewood Metallic was available for the 1981 MY 911 so we may need some confirmation that it is indeed the paint-to-sample color that is indicated by the CoA, but even if Rosewood is not the correct color, this remains a visually striking Porsche in an excellent period-correct configuration.