Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
A few neat ones popped up and caught my attention this week, so here’s the roundup! How about this slick RoW 968 in Riviera Blue? Before you get too excited, it’s a Tiptronic. But it’s also a wacky spec, with blue Porsche-script upholstery, no sunroof, and 17″ Cup wheels.
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While the final evolution of Porsche’s front-engine four-cylinder transaxle experiment wasn’t a resounding sales success, it was not for lack of trying. The standard 968 was certainly a competent and composed performance coupe; sure, it lacked the panache of the 300-horsepower Japanese imports of the time, but wasn’t that in part the point? It was an understated and well-built car that still looks nice today. And it wasn’t as if it also didn’t have some performance. Adding to that in 1992 was the launch of the lightweight Club Sport model. By eliminating some soundproofing material, the sunroof, and the air conditioning as well as fitting manually adjustable Recaro seats, Porsche stripped ~200lbs of weight out of the 968. The same 237-horsepower M44 was under the hood, but the “add lightness” formula worked and produced better performance. ’93 models were available in just five colors; black, white, Speed Yellow, Guards Red, and today’s striking shade of Maritime Blue (L38B). Only about 1,900 of these special 968s were produced, so they typically fetch a premium. How premium?
The 968 stormed out of the gates and straight into the early 1990s recession wielding 236 horsepower from its VarioCam-equipped development of the 3.0 inline-4 from the 944S2. Evolutionary bodywork linked the model more closely with both the 928S4/GT and the 911 range. But with more power on tap than the standard 944 Turbo had in the mid-eighties, the base price was pretty much out of reach for most mortals. In 1992, the MSRP was $39,950 for a stripper Coupe. If you wanted the Cabriolet, you’d pay more than $10,000 additional. And if you opted for a Tiptronic transmission you’d be at $55,000. This is in 1992, mind you! That’s over $106,500 in today’s buying power and the best part of double what a base 718 Boxster stickers for today. Sufficed to say, Porsche didn’t sell a ton of these cars in the middle of a global recession. Today’s car is one of three claimed delivered in the color combination of Amethyst Pearl Metallic with a Magenta top and matching interior:
The 968 occupies a strange space in the Porsche world. Limited in production, good looking, well-built and with good chassis dynamics and performance, it should have all of the hallmarks of a collector car in today’s market. Many prominent automobile publications have bashed you over the head with that, too – it’s not just me banging on here. Petrolicious posts an article (the same one, usually…) seemingly every week about the Porsche 968 Club Sport, Hemmings has repeatedly said it’s the best of the breed, and Hagerty told you to get on board in 2018 and buy one. And when Bring a Trailer sold one in late 2017 at $36,250, it seemed 2018 was poised to be the year of exploding values on the 968.
But it wasn’t. Bring a Trailer has, so far to date, failed to present a match to that one-off. It’s not for lack of trying – quite a few have come up since, including a Club Sport, but they’re all below $30,000. For reference, they’re selling at about the same price as E30 325is – and I’d argue that they’re a lot nicer. So here we are in 2021, wondering exactly where the values on these cars will head. Today’s clean Guards Red coupe is priced right below that 2017 sale from BaT – so is it a deal?
