1986 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Convertible

First things first – this is a very, very good example of a 930 Carrera Cabriolet and it has had plenty of money lavished on getting it, and keeping it, that way.

The vendor purchased the car in 2020 when its 231 bhp flat-six 3.2 litre engine was enjoying the relatively recent benefit of a fully rebuilt gearbox, and the bodywork had been repainted.

He promptly set about getting it into the best possible version of itself.

Very wisely, he sought out the renowned Porsche whisperers at Francis Tuthill Ltd, who spent nearly £4,500 of his money on equipping the car with fast road spec suspension, brakes and steering.

The vendor tells us that, as a consequence of this careful curation and judicious fettling, the car “…goes like a rocket”.

We have driven it and can attest to the veracity of that statement.

The car feels supremely well-built and properly screwed-together.

It picks up pace with impressive urgency, builds momentum like the Flying Scotsman, and handles with all the balance, poise and agility you could hope or wish for.

It feels really good for even for its mileage – 109,000 – never mind its age, and it has that machined-from-billet solidity that people rightly associate with Zuffenhausen products of this era.

Besides, it’s really only in the UK that people consider anything over 100,000 miles to be some sort of risk.

Our European and American cousins, people who occupy far larger land masses, routinely cover much greater distances and think we’re a bit odd for attaching such significance to a car’s mileage.

This car looks as good as it sounds, and it sounds wonderful.

The bodywork is entirely devoid of any dinks, dents, creases or other aberrations of consequence that we can see anywhere.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are consistent, even and everything you would want and expect of a vehicle of this quality.

The paintwork, a fine and fairly rare shade of Iris blue, is pretty much beyond reproach and it has a depth of lustre and shine that belie the car’s years.

Even entirely standard stone chips and scratches are far more noticeable by their absence than their presence.

The blue fabric hood and matching tonneau cover are following the same script in terms of condition and quality, with just a tiny bit of scuffing along the lower edge of the hood where it meets the bodywork at the rear.

The wheels look to be in very decent condition, and are wearing Dunlop SP Sport 2000s at the rear and Dunlop SP Sport 3000s at the front.

The tyres appear to have plenty of life left in them.

The condition of the tea-tray spoiler should give you some reassuring clues as to the condition of the rest of the car. It’s rock-solid and the rubber hasn’t faded or cracked – certainly not something you’re guaranteed to find on all 911s of this era.

There are one or two paint chips and light scratches inside the door handle scoops, and the black paint has flaked away from the handles themselves.

A short section of rubber trim beneath the n/s/r bumper has come loose.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in very good order.

The interior is giving the exterior a good run for its money in terms of being in time-warp condition and free of any damage or wear of note.

The blue leather upholstery has yet to earn a meaningful crease let alone any ingrained patina, and the front seats are supportive, comfortable and functional.

The rear seats are just as good and have presumably only ever played host to a bag of shopping or the occasional suitcase.

As seats, they’re best left to the very small, the very young, the very acrobatic or the very masochistic.

The carpets and mats are broadly excellent, although the carpets behind the rear seats are a little past their best and could do with freshening up.

The door cards and roof-lining are good.

There’s a tiny split to the vinyl cover at the top of the dashboard, a section of loose trim that needs reattaching behind the driver’s seat, and we noticed that the n/s/r flip-down seat is a little reluctant to stay in its flipped-up position.

The gear lever, steering wheel and handbrake gaiter are free of any signs of wear that matter.

All dials, knobs, instruments, levers, switches and controls look good to us and, as far as we’re aware, everything works.

The frunk is equally impressive and contains a tool roll and a space-saver tyre.

As ever with a 911, there’s not much to be learned from peering into the engine bay.

That said, everything looks clean, dry and in its right and proper place, from what we can see.

It’s a similar story with the car’s undersides and we’ve seen nothing anywhere to make us tut or shake our heads.

This car comes with lots of the right sort of history.

No corners have been cut, no expenses have been spared, no excuses are proffered or sought.

It’s received the care and treatment it’s needed - promptly and from acknowledged experts and specialists.

And it’s not been exactly over-used in recent years.

The car was recorded as having covered 104,000 miles 20 years ago.

So, this fine 911 has put just 5,000 miles under its various belts since 2005.

The history file contains plenty of invoices, bills and receipts covering work carried out recently, including jobs done by Autofficina to address issues with wiring and motors in the doors and powering the hood.

It comes with a pack of manuals, guides and booklets, full sets of keys, an MoT (with no advisories) that’s valid until 1.10.25, and a recent HPI report.

There’s a reason that Porsche 911s of this era are enduringly popular and increasing sought-after. 

They’re very good cars.

And when they’re in this kind of condition, they’re really very good indeed.

Enough said.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £35,000 - £40,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.