1997 Porsche 911 (993) Cabriolet

Vendor Simon has owned this 993 Cabriolet for nine years, “generally speaking it has been very steady and extremely reliable; there’ve been a few small niggles, but they’ve mainly been of the trim variety rather than anything of a mechanical nature.”

After buying the car he had a fair amount of work completed including having the suspension fully re-bushed, new shock absorbers fitted and the rear bumper support brackets (a known rot spot) replaced; at the same time the alloy wheels were refurbished, a new OEM soft top fitted and billet alloy valve covers and gaskets added to the engine.

“Last year it had a big mechanical service,” he says. “The roof mechanism was also comprehensively restored, with a new roof drive motor gear and top lock fitted.”

Alas, it is time however, for Simon to now part ways with his 993. “If you look at the MOT history, I’ve gradually been using it less and less. In fact last year, I don’t think I did 1000 miles in it. I don’t like to admit it, but I’m getting old and I simply don’t have the ability to drive it fast any more.”

His wish for the 993 to find a new home with an owner, who can give it more regular exercise, means that they will directly benefit the careful and comprehensive maintenance it’s received from him.

The included V5 document shows that the Cabriolet has had a total of five owners from new. It also has a recent fresh MOT certificate (the only advisories were new wiper blades and a fresh set of front discs, which it received).

Zenith Blue has a lovely ring to it and the hue suits the Cabrio’s lines beautifully. Take a look at our Video Review below for a full 360-degree show-reel of this car’s wares.

Shut lines remain first class and the paintwork is good, retaining a still impressive lustre. There are a handful of minor imperfections, mainly light scuffs here and there, and some small chips on the door edges, but they aren’t bad by any means and don’t detract from the car’s overall smart presentation.

Isn’t that lovely 993 outline one to be admired? Beer in hand, sunny evening and a chair thank you very much – we’d start by taking in that muscular rear end, and then work our way slowly around.

The replacement hood is still in very good condition, and bidders can take comfort from knowing that the hood mechanism was restored in recent years (it works flawlessly). There’s a matching tonneau cover, which again looks to have been fitted fleetingly given its crease-free condition.

It received fresh tyres last year, and they’ve only had very light use since; the alloy wheels are very clean. All light lenses remain nice and clear, too.  

If keeping the car then Simon says that he would have gradually replaced the interior. Yes the carpets are a bit grubby here and there and there’s a touch of wear (on the gearstick and driver’s seat bolster), but it remains perfectly serviceable.

In fact with a deep clean and a bit of TLC, we think it’ll smarten up very nicely. The leather has developed a nice patina and generally it’s not too bad for a cabin that’s now 23 years old. As with many 911s, the rear +2 seats look practically unused.

Nice, matching Grey overmats are fitted and the contrast between the interior and exterior colour schemes is highly pleasing to the eye. Of course, the next owner could still go down the restorative route and bring it back to absolute spanky showroom condition.

One thing we did notice, is that the small plastic seat that houses the metal bar (that opens the door) is broken on the driver’s door handle; the door can still be opened but the lever needs to be pulled quite hard, and it will require replacing. And we have just noted that the gearbox indicator in teh speedo is not working.

“Mechanically, it’s been a rock solid car,” says Simon. “All the important bits work and it drives very nicely, indeed. The 993 is much better than the 996, not in terms of measurable performance, but in driving feeling; it sounds and feels significantly nicer.

“I remember in the Seventies moving from an old Norton motorcycle to a Honda; the new bike was an efficient, easy driving experience but the Norton was an experience! That holds true for the 993.”

We’ve had the car here at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters for a few days now and can confirm that it’s a nice little example. Thanks to the restorative works that Simon had carried out when he bought it, the suspension feels taut and supple. The brakes provide sharp stopping power and the Tiptronic ‘box, pleasant shifts. Of course it’s the noise of the air-cooled six that keeps the 993 high on the 911-want-list and with the engine pulling strongly this one sounds absolutely spot on.

At the rear, the engine bay presents very nicely. It’s quite free from grime and all hoses and couplings look to be in good nick. There is a very small oil leak, which seems to be coming from the offside timing chain cover; the sound deadening foam at the top of the engine bay is also a touch droopy, but both are pretty minor considerations.

Up front, lift the carpet, and you’ll find the original space saver wheel and a full tool kit in place. The underside looks to be in very nice, solid condition, as you’d expect given that Simon’s cosseted the car since buying it.

The 993 comes complete with a nice history file, which includes a raft of prior MOT certificates, all original handbooks (including the service book), and a combination of invoices from both the current, and previous, owners’ custodianships.

The stamps in the service book show that it was serviced almost every year until 2006 (2004 being the outlier), and then between longer time-spans as the yearly mileage slowed down.

Of the bills, it’s those completed by the vendor that are of most interest. These include fitment of billet alloy valve covers and gaskets (£390.50, in September 2011), a new OEM soft-top hood (£806.72 plus £225 fitting, that same month). The Wheel Specialist also refurbished the alloy wheels that same year (£384).

In more recent times it’s had a new roof drive motor gear and top lock (£792, in August 2018), fresh engine mounts (£229.20, July ’18), Pirelli PZ Rossoa N3 tyres all round (£771.14, May ’18) and rear pads and discs (£737.71, June ’18). It also had some fresh wiper blades last year!

You’ll also find the original Sony stereo system handbook and two sets of keys. Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

You just have to say the number 993 to a Porsche aficionado and they go all frothy mouthed and weak-kneed; there’s a good reason for that, as this derivative offers the ultimate combination of both the classic and modern classic 911 worlds.

This car is a well looked after example of a drop-top 911. “Rock solid,” says owner Simon, and its history file, which shows a good service history and plenty of maintenance expenditure on all the right things, backs that up.

It drives nicely and looks very smart, so we think somewhere between £29,000 and £35,000 ought to be enough to get your bum parked in this lovely car.

It’s 35 degrees Celsius with blue azure skies outside as I write this, and there’s still plenty of summer and autumn left. Hell’s Bell’s, even a cold crispy winter’s morn blast would be an absolute pleasure in this lovely air-cooled number.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters; 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’.