As we begin to close out Convertible Week here at GCFSB, let’s take a look at an example from the very first year of the 911 Cabriolet. Porsche had experimented with an open-top 911 far earlier with the release of the Soft-window Targa. Those models allowed for both an open top and open rear window while integrating a fixed rollhoop. I’ve never thought the design looked right and, I guess unsurprisingly, the Soft-window Targa eventually gave way to the hard-window Targa with which we are all very familiar. For a number of years that was it. Due to their concerns over safety regulations rendering the full convertible obsolete, Porsche never committed to making a true Cabriolet until the 911SC was ending its model run, more than 15 years after they first introduced the Soft-window Targa. That makes those first Cabriolets somewhat special as not only were they the first 911 Cabriolet to be produced, but they also happen to be the only year they were produced as a 911SC. That second point holds less weight with most people, but for someone who might have a preference for the SC over the 3.2 Carrera, options for open-top motoring dwindle quite quickly. The example we see here, an Indischrot 1983 Porsche 911SC Cabriolet, located in California, with 45,205 miles on it appears aimed at the collector crowd (at least based on how it’s been priced), though for someone who might want to spend a bit of time driving their Cabriolet there is enough mileage here to retain much of the long-term value even with some additional mileage each year.
Tag: Cabriolet
If the color of this 911 looks familiar to you, it should! We certainly do not come across Cassis Red very often, but it was only a couple weeks back that we featured a reader ride presented in this very same color combination of Cassis Red over Burgundy. That 911 was a Targa, so if you are someone who desires a fuller openness to your cockpit, then perhaps this 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in Connecticut, with 43,773 miles on it will suit your purposes a little better. This could be simply a function of the lighting and photography, but the richness of the Cassis Red paint on this Cabriolet looks a little more pronounced than on other examples I’ve come across. It appears just that extra degree more striking. I’m certain that when cruising the boulevard with the top down that this would be a head-turning and crowd-pleasing 911. It may attract some attention, but beautiful things usually do.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet on Excellence Magazine
2 CommentsBy the late 1980s, Volkswagen’s lineup seemed decidedly dated. While the entire lineup of German motors wasn’t particularly innovative or new (I’m looking at you, R107 and 911), for some reason the Volkswagen lineup seemed more ancient. Outside of the Golf and Jetta which were launched in 1985, you had the Quantum – a chassis shared with the B2 Audi, but it lived longer as a Volkswagen. Square and tall, it looked like a mildly updated 1970s car mostly because it effectively was. Then you had the Scirocco; fun, angular and sporty, it too was a mildly updated Scirocco 1 from the 1970s and might have been the last use of sealed-beam headlights in the U.S. market. Of course, there was the Vanagon; the T3 would amazingly carry over into the 1990s (barely) from its 1979 launch – but it always felt straight from the 1970s, even when presented with updated bodywork, wheels and interiors. And then there was the true Jurassic-era product in the Volkswagen lineup – the Cabriolet. While Volkswagen didn’t chop the top off the first generation Golf until 1980, it was already a reasonably old car by that point, having been launched in 1974. Yet the last of the Cabriolets would roll off the assembly line astonishingly in 1993, having outlived the A1’s successor, the second generation Golf. Such was the enduring appeal of the Cabriolet, however, that it was a bit long in the tooth didn’t matter. Nor did poor build quality, relative unreliability, buzzy engines, short gearing, oppressive wind noise and poor performance. It was, after all, a convertible – and that meant people anted up amazing amounts of money to get their hands on what was the cheapest German convertible one could buy. It wasn’t an expensive Rabbit – it was a cheap 911 cabriolet. Sort of.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet on eBay
5 CommentsTo kick off Convertible Week here at GCFSB, we’ve started with one of our favorites: the Mercedes-Benz SL. For more than 60 years, this car has been a mainstay in the Mercedes lineup, beginning with the closed roof, 300SL Gullwing. The Gullwing would eventually give us the 300SL Roadster and from there, Mercedes stuck with the hardtop roadster format, which would morph into a roadster with a retractable hardtop for the 2003 model year. One of my favorite SLs, however, was the late model R129 that preceded the R230 with its folding hardtop. This low mileage 1998 example is almost exactly as I’d want mine kitted out, looking mean in black over black leather with the 18″ AMG alloy wheels.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 on eBay
Comments closedWe have many fans of the 964 around here and it is certainly a nice time to be a fan of these cars. As values of the 3.2 Carrera have risen, the value of a standard 964 has remained fairly constant. Granted, many of the model variants like the RS America, the wide-body Carrera 4, and especially the 3.6 Turbo and Turbo S, have shown tremendous increases in value, but for a basic Carrera 2 or early Carrera 4 there’s a lot of good car to be had for the money. The 964 itself was a hallmark for Porsche as it represented the first significant redesign of what had become an icon of automobile design. Still, there is no mistaking that the new design was anything other than a 911 as all of the basic cues were retained. As the days continue to get warmer then why not enjoy some open-top motoring in a 964: here we have a Stone Grey Metallic 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in Arizona, with Grey leather interior and 85,000 miles on it.