2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet

The 996 is a far bigger car than its 993 predecessor and a good deal more practical as a result. The design was closer related to the Boxster than the previous shape 911: over 40% of the componentry is shared. You notice this most of all inside, where the previous haphazard array of knobs and switches were replaced with the Boxster's far more cohesive layout. There's more cabin space too - but don't let this lull you into thinking of the new 911 as a realistic four-seater. It isn't. The front boot's bigger too, but you can't fit more than two bags in it and you'll need to watch out when closing it so as not to dent the bonnet on protruding items.

Antilock brakes and twin front airbags are included, although side bags and the excellent Porsche Stability Management electronics are extra. The Convertible features automatic roll-over protection and there are proportionately more Carrera 4 drop tops around than rear wheel drive models. Certain design cues remain; the slab sided dashboard and simple switchgear, and that Weissach crest staring at you from the steering wheel let you know that you're about to get a return on the millions Porsche have invested in research and development.

This 911 could easily pass as a three year old car, let alone a 23 year old one. The grey metallic paintwork is in excellent order – we couldn’t even find any stone chip damage on its pointed nose. The alloy wheels are also in excellent condition and are currently fitted with a set of Continental winter tyres.

There are some fairly insignificant marks to plastic trim on the roof cover, but other than that the car is, as far as we could see, in absolutely first class shape. The soft top looks to be in very good order and with the hardtop in place the car looks every inch the coupé 911.

The hardtop itself is in generally good shape but we did spot a tiny area of bubbling on one edge of it.

It’s a similar tale inside. The leather seats are lovely, with no meaningful wear on the driver’s seat, despite a fairly high mileage. There’s the odd small mark on some of the plastic trim – a scratch on the base of the handbrake lever (only visible when parked) for instance, but we’re clutching at straws really.

The dashtop is in fine shape, with no sun damage, and we’re told all the switchgear and electric systems operate as they should. The only detractions we could see are some scratches to the back of the seats, which you can obviously only really see when they’re folded forward.

This car may have covered 156,000 miles but it had a new engine fitted by Porsche at 112,000, so this one has only done 44k miles. As you’d expect, it starts, idles and runs very smoothly as a result.

The engine bay itself is very clean for a car of this age and mileage, and everything looks to be present and correct. At the front the space saver spare wheel is where it should be, along with the jack and wheel brace.

The 911’s underside looks to have had some wax rustproofing applied at some point, with the result that we couldn’t spot any corrosion. On top of this, the visible pipework (fuel lines we think) also look untroubled by rust.

This car was originally owned by the then boss of Coca Cola UK, and the second keeper is the current owner’s brother. So there have only been three owners from new, which is reflected in its excellent condition.

There’s a huge history file with the car, which has always been maintained regardless of cost. There are bills and historic invoices going right back to the time when the 911 was being serviced in Switzerland, including the bill in 2012 for the replacement Porsche factory engine at a cost of £14,353.

Also included is a pile of old MoT certificates. There are also two sets of keys and all the original handbooks that came with the car when it was new.

The owner says:

‘My brother bought the car from the then boss of Coca Cola UK in 2005, and used it to commute from London to his chalet in Switzerland (hence the Continental winter tyres on it). He sold it to me because he was spending more time in Switzerland and needed a larger car to cope with all his relations going skiing! He has always maintained the car in very good condition regardless of expense, and that can be seen by any investigation.

‘The new engine was factory fitted by Porsche and was the result of a well known design problem with these models. It is a totally standard car – nothing has been done to alter it in any way, and it was first registered in December 2001.

‘I wish I could keep this myself but I’ve been vetoed by my wife as she thinks it’s not a car for a 73 year old. Considering the new engine has only done 44,000 miles, whoever buys this gets a real bargain’.

The 996 represents something of a bargain in 911 terms, and this one has a highish mileage. However, most of those miles were on motorways, and the Porsche replacement engine has only covered a fraction of the total, so we think this is an excellent buy. Getting on the 911 ladder in a car you can jump into and drive away in for anything like the estimate of £9,000-£13,000 on this auction is, frankly, a snip.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.