The values of the original 930-model 911 Turbo are fascinating me – they’ll all over the place. I’ve commented on this before, but it came back onto my radar yesterday when a chap rang to say he was planning on paying £39,995 for this 1989 Cabriolet. That’s a lot of money but I have seen 930s selling for that sort of figure.
Now, it looks a very nice car and the 1989 Turbos carry a premium because they were the last to be made and the only ones with a five-speed gearbox, which people like. At 62,000 miles it’s not an ultra-low mileage example, although it does sound as if it’s in good original condition.
Compare that, then, with this year-older coupe which is on sale for just £18,995. Similar mileage but without that desirable five-speed ’box. Of course, the condition may well not be as good (as a colleague pointed out, it’s on the west coast of Ireland so could have suffered from the Atlantic weather). If it is a decent car, though, then it could well be a good investment. Bear in mind that Ireland has a smaller population and, therefore, a smaller market for such cars, so that could be one factor in the price being less. Bring it back to the UK and it may suddenly sell for more. The only problem is you’d have to go over to Ireland (a great place to visit) to inspect the car beforehand.
The key with any of these older Turbos is condition – check for rust, rust and rust. Also, look out for smoky and leaky engines, accident damage and iffy service history.
