2001 Porsche Boxster

Assembled in the Spring of 2001 at Valmet’s Finnish plant under contract from Porsche, this 2.7-litre Boxster was crowned “best original factory complete Boxster 986” at Beaulieu MM’s Independent Porsche Enthusiasts’ Club meet in 2016.

With fewer than 3,000 miles covered since then – and it’s still travelled fewer than 30,000 miles from new – it is in a staggeringly good condition with a beautiful finish to the Lapis Blue Metallic coachwork and an almost unmarked sand leather interior.

The seller bought it for his girlfriend but she has decided she’d prefer an automatic, which is bad news for him but very good news for anyone looking for a beautifully preserved example of the original Porsche Boxster.

With superb shutlines and no damage that we could see, this Lapis Blue Metallic makes a convincing case for binning the idea of buying anything newer; why bother, when a 22-year-old example looks this good?

Please feel free to make an appointment to come and kick the tyres in person but if you can’t make it and are relying on the photos and videos to decide, you can rest easy because it is every bit as good in the flesh as it looks.

You’ll see from the service history later in the listing how well looked after it’s been (we can’t remember when we last saw so many changes of brake fluid…) and that obsessive curation shines through in the way it presents.

The blue folding hood is, as you can see, in a very good condition, rising and falling as it should. It seals tightly when it’s up and tucks away neatly when it’s not needed. The rear plastic window is also bright and clear too, something that isn’t always the case.

Heck, even the numberplates bear the details of H.R. Owen of Hatfield, who were the original supplying dealer.

The original 17-inch alloy wheels are, of course, excellent and they’re fitted with matching Continental Sport Contact tyres.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

As for flaws, there are a few: there is a small stonechip in the windscreen (#37) but we understand it’s been there since 2015 and hasn’t got any worse in the intervening eight years.

There are (very light) marks on the front bumper (e.g. #53), one wheel has a small mark on the rim (#119) and the trim behind the offside rear wheel is cracked (#84).

The more fastidious among you will want to swap the odd rusty screw and fastener for new ones (#e.g. #41) but everyone else will be too busy enjoying that wailing flat-six to worry about such trivia.

The sand-coloured leather seats are very good. Sure, there is a small amount of softening and creasing to the outer edge of the driver’s seat but that’s only to be expected and in no way detracts from either the comfort or the support it gives.

A clear Perspex wind deflector sits between the headrests and offers the promise of ruffle-free motoring even at the three-figure speeds the Boxster is comfortable sitting at.

The brushed alloy inserts in the sand leather handbrake and gearknob look terrific too, don’t they? Subtle and under-stated, they alleviate what might otherwise be a bit too much brown and provide a lovely counterpoint to the more utilitarian-looking black dashboard, centre console, steering wheel and door pulls.

A (very good) pale tan carpet continue the cabin’s light and vibrant colour scheme, although dark grey overmats provide a practical touch and their darker hue makes much more sense if the Porsche is going to be put in daily use.

The original Porsche CDR-22 single-CD/radio headunit is still there, which is nice to see. The future value of cars like this depend on their originality almost as much as their maintenance record and general condition, and small details like this help separate the good cars from the truly excellent.

The frunk is clean and tidy. Home to the (unused) space saver spare wheel, it also contains the locking wheelnut key, breakdown triangle (again, never used) and a complete Porsche tool kit

The rear boot contains the access points for the oil and water; this is a very well-engineered and thought out sportscar that demands as little compromise as possible.

Flaws? Well, as we mentioned, the outer edge of the base of the driver’s seat is a little crumpled and creased but only a little (#144) and the leather has a bubble on the edge of the dashboard where the door closing against it (#255).

As you can see in the accompanying video, the 2.7-litre engine starts well, idles perfectly and revs like only a flat-six can. There are no warning lights illuminated, either.

It feeds its power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The rear main oil seal (RMS) and exhaust flange gasket were replaced at 25,800 miles and a new Bosch alternator was installed at 25,800 miles.

The underside looks clean and strong. Obviously.

Shipped from Finland to Porsche Zentrum Würzburg in May 2001 before being delivered to HR Owen of Hatfield, the vendor has owned it since March 2023

The service history booklet records the following:

• 20.06.2002 and 9,745 miles – 12,000-mile service by H.R. Owen of Hatfield
• 19.06.2003 and 12,797 miles – 24,000-mile service by Porsche Centre Silverstone
• 22.02.2007 and 16,851 miles – 48,000-mile service plus fresh brake fluid by ProMAX Motorsport Ltd
• 13.05.2010 and 20,840 miles – minor service by Ashtree Service Station of Northampton
• 17.05.2011 and 22,410 miles – major service including new sparkplugs by Ashtree Service Station of Northampton
• 09.05.2012 and 23,704 miles – service by Ashtree Service Station of Northampton
• 29.04.2013 and 24,692 miles – minor service by Ashtree Service Station of Northampton
• 19.05.2014 and 25,471 miles – service plus fresh brake fluid by SJN Motors of Northampton
• 10.06.2015 and 26,447 miles – service by TWG Porsche
• 18.05.2016 and 26,856 miles – major service plus fresh brake fluid by TWG Porsche
• 09.03.2017 and 27,564 miles – minor service plus fresh brake fluid by TWG Porsche
• 12.03.2018 and 28,250 miles – major service including new sparkplugs and fresh brake fluid by TWG Porsche
• 13.05.2019 and 28,351 miles – minor service plus fresh brake fluid by independent Porsche specialist
• 24.08.2020 and 28,681 miles – major service including new sparkplugs by independent Porsche specialist
• 03.09.2021 and 29,088 miles – minor service plus fresh brake fluid by independent Porsche specialist

That’s a mighty impressive record, isn’t it?

It comes complete with every MoT certificate since 2006 plus the original book pack including the owner’s manual, service history booklet, and manuals for the CD/radio and NavTrak plus a current MoT certificate until October 2023.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and it comes with two sets of keys.

The Boxster remained an underappreciated sportscar for a long time, largely because it wasn’t a 911 - then Porsche changed the Boxster’s engine to a four-cylinder unit in 2016, instantly elevating the flat-six models to modern classic status.

This act of corporate parsimony did us classic car enthusiasts a favour; while prices rose, making it a teeny bit less affordable than it was, that rising tide allowed owners to continue to justify money-no-object maintenance, leaving the Boxster market in a healthier position.

These early 2.7-litre cars, with their relatively narrow tyres, offer a purer driving experience than some of the later, faster models; no lesser luminary than Top Gear’s Chris Harris, who bought a 2007 2.7 Cayman for his own pleasure, says of them: “if I hear another wally tell me that a 245bhp coupé isn’t fast enough... Small wheels and minimal rubber are good: the car moves about more, grips less and reveals further secrets from the best Porsche chassis ever.”

Of course, this is a Boxster rather than a Cayman, but we think the lesson stands.

And, best of all, it’s only going to cost you somewhere between £9,000 and £14,000 to see if Chris is right – and given it’s being sold with no reserve, it might be an even cheaper lesson than that…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at the Bonhams|Cars Online 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’.