Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster 'Turbo Look' - 1989
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Estimated : € 260.000 - 300.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2017
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2017
Porsche's first take on a convertible 911 had been the Targa model of 1965, a 'halfway house' design chosen because of fears that a genuine soft-top would not meet US Federal safety regulations, but by 1981 the company felt able to proceed with the genuine article. Introduced in normally aspirated 3.0-litre form in 1982, the 911 Cabriolet lost little, if any, rigidity with the deletion of the Targa roll-over bar, while its speedily raised/lowered top featured a detachable, zip-fastened rear window. The 911 Cabriolet proved a hit from the moment of its debut at the Geneva Salon in March 1982 and by the end of the 1983 model year had sold over 4,000 units, a total some 50% higher than that achieved by the cheaper Targa version.
Completing the soft-top 911 line-up was the Speedster, which revived a charismatic model from Porsche's past when it arrived for 1989, the name previously having been applied to that most stylish of the many Type 356 variants. Based on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, though normally aspirated, the 3.2-litre Speedster was launched immediately prior to the introduction of the new Type 964 bodyshell and thus was the last 911 model to feature the old-style body based on the original design of 1963.
The latter was reworked by chief stylist Tony Lapine, incorporating numerous references to the original 356 Speedster as well as a pair of controversial 'camel hump' cowlings behind the seats that concealed the stowed-away manual hood, a simplified affair described by the factory as for 'temporary' use. From 1984 Porsche offered the 'Turbo Look' body style - flared wheelarches, large rear wing and deeper front spoiler - on its normally aspirated models including the Speedster, the vast majority of which were ordered with this option. One of the rarest of the 911 family, the Speedster was built for the 1989 season only, a mere 2,065 cars being completed.
The Speedster was collected from the factory in August 1989 and shipped to the USA where it was registered in the Porsche Berkey dealership's name. However, first owner Heinrichs did not drive the car, which had covered only 60 miles by 2008 when he sold it. In 2008 this little-used Speedster returned to Europe and was bought by a Switzerland-resident French citizen, who kept the car (French registered) in Paris. ON the Porsche's return to Europe the speedometer was changed from miles to kilometres per hour by an official Porsche dealership. Of course, the original mph odometer has remained with the car as a proof of its ultra-low mileage. At the same time the Speedster was brought up to European specification (the third stoplight and US rear bumper come with the car).
Its owner registered the Porsche in 2008 and it is only then that the mileage started to increase, albeit slowly, from 800 kilometres in 2008 to 1,600 now. Although only driven infrequently, the car has been serviced on a regular basis:
Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster 'Turbo Look' - 1989
Bonhams : the Zoute Sale
Estimated : € 260.000 - 300.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2017
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2017
Porsche's first take on a convertible 911 had been the Targa model of 1965, a 'halfway house' design chosen because of fears that a genuine soft-top would not meet US Federal safety regulations, but by 1981 the company felt able to proceed with the genuine article. Introduced in normally aspirated 3.0-litre form in 1982, the 911 Cabriolet lost little, if any, rigidity with the deletion of the Targa roll-over bar, while its speedily raised/lowered top featured a detachable, zip-fastened rear window. The 911 Cabriolet proved a hit from the moment of its debut at the Geneva Salon in March 1982 and by the end of the 1983 model year had sold over 4,000 units, a total some 50% higher than that achieved by the cheaper Targa version.
Completing the soft-top 911 line-up was the Speedster, which revived a charismatic model from Porsche's past when it arrived for 1989, the name previously having been applied to that most stylish of the many Type 356 variants. Based on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, though normally aspirated, the 3.2-litre Speedster was launched immediately prior to the introduction of the new Type 964 bodyshell and thus was the last 911 model to feature the old-style body based on the original design of 1963.
The latter was reworked by chief stylist Tony Lapine, incorporating numerous references to the original 356 Speedster as well as a pair of controversial 'camel hump' cowlings behind the seats that concealed the stowed-away manual hood, a simplified affair described by the factory as for 'temporary' use. From 1984 Porsche offered the 'Turbo Look' body style - flared wheelarches, large rear wing and deeper front spoiler - on its normally aspirated models including the Speedster, the vast majority of which were ordered with this option. One of the rarest of the 911 family, the Speedster was built for the 1989 season only, a mere 2,065 cars being completed.
The Speedster was collected from the factory in August 1989 and shipped to the USA where it was registered in the Porsche Berkey dealership's name. However, first owner Heinrichs did not drive the car, which had covered only 60 miles by 2008 when he sold it. In 2008 this little-used Speedster returned to Europe and was bought by a Switzerland-resident French citizen, who kept the car (French registered) in Paris. ON the Porsche's return to Europe the speedometer was changed from miles to kilometres per hour by an official Porsche dealership. Of course, the original mph odometer has remained with the car as a proof of its ultra-low mileage. At the same time the Speedster was brought up to European specification (the third stoplight and US rear bumper come with the car).
Its owner registered the Porsche in 2008 and it is only then that the mileage started to increase, albeit slowly, from 800 kilometres in 2008 to 1,600 now. Although only driven infrequently, the car has been serviced on a regular basis: