MARKET WATCH
A selection of Porsches coming to auction.
IT’S DIFFICULT TO ARGUE AGAINST THE CASE FOR STRETCHING YOUR BUDGET FOR THE VERY MODEL WHICH HELPED PUT PORSCHE BACK IN THE BLACK
As enthusiasts and collectors look forward to what we all hope will be a more positive year, auction houses have revealed details of some of the Porsches coming to market in the early part of 2021. Dan takes a look at the ones to watch out for in real-world and online auction rooms in the coming weeks...
If you’ve made it this far into the magazine (though I recognise there are strange folk out there who will start at the back!), you’ll know I’m the proud owner of a 944 Turbo, which is why the 944 Turbo Cabriolet about to go under the hammer at Mathewsons auction house has tickled my fancy. One of only a hundred right-hand drive Turbo droptops built (shared between UK, Japanese, Australian and South African markets), this particular example is understated in its monotone dress, but it could be exactly what budget conscious admirers of this rare production model have been looking for — due to minor accident damage suffered back in 1998, the car was awarded Category D certification (insurer decided not to repair). This was a time when old Porsches weren’t worth what they are now and appreciation for the 944 in any specification left a lot to be desired. Wind the clocks forward, and May 2020 saw a Guards Red 944 Turbo Cabriolet shift for £36,300 at the Silverstone Auctions Live Online Sale, making the lower estimate of £18,500 for this Porsche Club GB certified example something of a steal.
For some time, Porsche’s transaxle family of cars was riding on the coattails of rapidly increasing 911 values, the effect generating renewed enthusiasm for these front-engined, water-cooled modern classics. Perhaps the best example of this creeping adoration in action is the 1988 928 SE which sold for an eye-popping £129,375 at the NEC Classic Car Show live online auction a few weeks ago. A limited production run of forty-two right-hand drive cars for the UK, the SE is regarded as the C16 market’s 928 Club Sport (available in continental Europe and North America). This particular car was owned by the Egyptian embassy between the original point of sale and 2015 and, following a refresh at Hexagon Classics, has been enjoyed by just one owner since that time. With only 10,325 miles on the clock, it’s as close to a new SE as can be hoped for, though for that price, I should hope so!
Another pretty Porsche I’m expecting to fetch a pretty penny is the Paint to Sample
2002 996 Turbo due to be offered in a forthcoming Collecting Cars online auction. At the time of writing, few details have been published about the car. I appreciate its Hulk-like hue is probably ‘Marmite’ to many, but I love it and will be interested to see how many bids this striking 911 generates and, of course, what the final sale price will be. Good luck to those of you planning to get busy with the bidding.
At the lower end of the price spectrum is the Arena Red 986 Boxster being readied for sale by the guys over at Brightwells. Supplied new by JCT-600 in May 1998 and trimmed in extended Savannah leather, this gorgeous drop-top has covered only 38k miles from new and rides on staggered ‘twist’ alloys. Cherished by only two owners from new, it’s not the cheapest 2.5-litre 986 you’ll come across (the lower estimate is £7,000), but it’s difficult to argue against the case for stretching your budget for such a tidy example of the very model which helped put Porsche back in the black.
The Market is offering a tidy Tiptronicladen 993 Carrera Cabriolet in the coming weeks, while Brightwells has an awkwardlooking Guards Red 964-decorated Carrera 3.2 on its books. An estimate of £45,000 is expected to be reached. Time will tell!