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I’m going to step forward one year from yesterday’s 911S Targa to look at the model that replaced it: the 911SC. This was to begin the 911’s heyday as the 911SC and its successor the 3.2 Carrera would propel the model forward and insure its top status at Porsche. Chief among the issues to be addressed with this new model was the engine. Reliability issues had hampered the previous 2.7 liter engines, but with the introduction of a naturally-aspirated version of the 3.0 liter flat-six that had been serving duty in the 930, Porsche was able to provide both more power and better reliability. Always a winning combination. These 3.0 liter engines have proven to be some of the most reliable Porsche has used in the 911 and they are one of the reasons the 911SC remains such a great option for buyers today. With good care they easily stretch into six-figure mileage, yet values for cars in good condition have remained fairly reasonable relative to later models. While a 911SC certainly won’t provide the performance capabilities of the more modern 964 or 993 their appearance remains classic and their 180 horses still provide enough power for any backroad enjoyment. The example we see here is a very low mileage Silver 1978 Porsche 911SC Coupe, located in Tennessee, with an interesting Black interior with velour seat inserts.
Let’s visit one of the unloved: a 1977 Porsche 911S Targa, located in Nevada, with an interesting Tan interior with tartan inserts and 96,000 miles on it. The mid-year 911 showed some gains in appreciation over the past year, but still tends to lag behind most other models. The drop-off in values from the long-hood 911s that preceded them is significant, but they even tend to lag behind their successor, the 911SC, for all but the best examples. A combination of reliability issues, lower performance, and the design aesthetic of the impact-bumper cars all have contributed to those lower values. Yet, there is still appeal to these 911s and like anything else when the value is right, the appeal increases as well. This one is up for a no reserve auction and barring something unexpected I suspect this Targa should represent one of those nice values.
The Pastel Yellow 1997 Porsche 911 Targa we featured back in late March remains for sale. The price is still very high, but at least it has been lowered by $21K. Still, it’s a very pretty (and rare) color on a 993 with very low miles, the first of this Targa design and last of the air-cooled Targas, so there is sure to be some interest if the price can be brought into more reasonable territory.
The below post originally appeared on our site March 26, 2016:
This seems…reasonable. As always that makes me somewhat wary, but with the air-cooled market having slowed quite a bit coming across reasonably priced examples should become more common. I should emphasize this Porsche 930 isn’t a low price, but given the mileage it does strike me as pretty reasonable. So we’ll have to ask our usual questions, but there is some promise to be found here. This is a Grand Prix White 1986 Porsche 930 Coupe, located in New York, with 51,800 miles on it.
There have always been a lot of interesting colors available for the 911, but Cassis Red remains one of our favorites. It’s not pastel, but it’s not dull. It’s bright, without being too flashy. For some it may come off as too pink for their tastes, but like many metallic shades it varies in sun and shade and always seems to provide interesting contrast. It also seems to be very popular on the Targa. Maybe the way in which the various Targa accents break up the color with black trim appeals to a lot of people, I’m not sure, but it does seem to be more popular on the open-topped 911s than on the Coupes. This one here complements that very nice exterior with a White leather interior. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of a white interior in any application, but this is a rare combination for those who place priority on those things. So here we have a Cassis Red Metallic 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, located in Pennsylvania, with 74,770 miles on it.
