1995 Porsche 911 Convertible

This relatively early Carrera Cabriolet has significant appeal for any Porsche aficionado. It’s had a new roof fitted recently and in excess of £33k spent on its upkeep. All of which is documented meticulously in the car’s vast history. Aside from its obvious visual charm with gleaming blue paint and contrasting tan interior, of course. The transmission is the bullet-proof Mercedes-Benz-built Tiptronic 4-speed with a conventional shift. There’s a manual override too for those who desire that extra interaction from one’s stick – plus the somewhat fiddly buttons on the steering wheel.

The exterior is dominated by those uber-desirable 17-inch BBS Sport Classic rims, shod in matching and marvellous Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. The 993’s silhouette, even without a roof, is arguably one of the prettiest in 911 history. This generation also benefits from plenty of real-world and useable tech that hasn’t got to a stage where it detracts from driver engagement. It’s a real classic Porsche sweet spot that’s gaining in popularity daily.

Finished in highly-attractive Midnight Blue Metallic paint, this 993 exudes sophistication and sporting appeal. The finish appears largely excellent with a polished shine accentuating this Porsche’s classic curves. Good as it is, there are a few small locations around the body that aren’t quite perfect. There’s a small patch of light surface corrosion to the bottom of the nearside front wing, where it meets the sill. There are also some odd and very small spots of lifting paint on the driver’s side top corner of the bonnet. Elsewhere there’s the odd mark barely worth noting – the surface scratch to offside rear wheel arch chief among these.

The car has had some remedial paintwork carried out in the past, but this appears to have been done to a high standard. Though there’s evidence that the wheels have been refurbished, it looks like they could do with another round. Oddly the nearside rims (usually closest to any kerbs) have survived unscathed yet the offside rims have seen some kerb contact. The tyres all look to have plenty of life left though and the wheel design shows off the red Porsche-labelled calipers beautifully. As mention, the roof has clearly been replaced recently as it’s still taught and fresh. This was reaffirmed by the vendor but sadly, there’s nothing in the history to show when. Oh, and the rear spoiler extends as it should at the push of a button.

Blue and tan is an unusual combo outside of the Porsche sphere but we’re not sure why, as it looks fantastic in this Carrera. Its deep blue carpet and dashboard is broken up with leather covering the large four-spoke steering wheel and gear stick. The seats are also leather but tan coloured and flanked by matching door cards. The former show some light creases but nothing offensive. There are some tailored Porsche mats covering the floors yet lifting the driver’s side reveals wear through the carpet. It looks likely to have been caused by a dropped cigarette as it’s positioned just between the driver’s legs.

The instruments and dash present well and everything we tested worked, including the headlamp washers. The only piece of tech that doesn’t function as Porsche intended is the air-conditioning. The vendor did inform us that the speedo was changed at 92k miles (by Porsche West London) and he’s put another 2k miles on the car since buying it at 4.5k. The front boot (frunk for our American cousins) retains its carpeted covering, but this is looking a little wrinkly and poorly fitting. It’s also suffered a few stains over the years. There’s a little damage to the trim around the hood latch on the driver’s side (top of the windscreen), though we’re being pretty picky now.

Those gloriously patinated front pews are not only electrically operated but also heated. Combine toasty buns with a wind deflector and you’ve got one eminently usable year-round convertible.

With such a low and sleek sports car it’s something of a challenge to really poke around under this 911 but we did spot a few things. There’s a good dose of factory underseal still present and correct but a small patch has come loose and is beginning to let surface corrosion get a hold. This isn’t anything to worry about, especially as the last two owners (at least) have kept this car garaged, but we’d still consider topping up the protection.

Some cracks and damage to the largely sacrificial plastic undertrays is to be expected but the good news is that they’re all still attached and doing their jobs. The brake discs present with some mild scoring but there’s no further evidence of any wear. Swinging open the engine lid out back, everything appears to be dry, if a little grubby. Evidence of a belt service (indicated in the history) can be seen around that big air-cooling engine fan. The soundproofing at the top of the bay is sagging a little but still functions as intended.

It’s reassuring, especially on a car with a speedo change, to find a history folder as comprehensive as this one. The car has been cared for predominantly by Porsche specialists (rather than dealers) since it was new. The maintenance and service booklet show almost every interval has been met, including the brake fluid changes for the past decade (it’s had three). The MoT certificates are tracible back to 2002 and confirm the pre-speedo change mileage (currently just under 99k). There are also a few wonderfully period glimpses from this car’s past evident in its comprehensive history file. Our personal favourite was a hands-free Nokia installation – along with £5k worth of servicing and brake work – carried out by Charles Ivey in 2004.

Though specialists were trusted to service this 911, that doesn’t mean the history is devoid of dealer invoices; quite the opposite in fact. There’s plenty of evidence of regular trips to Porsche Solihull, Sutton Coldfield & Porsche Centre West London. More fundamental work seems to have been trusted to the dealer network, including the aforementioned speedo swap in 2016.

As already mentioned, there was some remedial paintwork repair as proven by a front and rear bumper, plus nearside front wing, respray by Smith & Hunter of Kensington in 2012. Two of the suspension’s lower wishbones were replaced in 2015 and a comprehensive service, including another brake fluid change, has only just been carried out in December of last year.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

The vendor is a serial classic car buyer and tends to keep one of his cars for a year or two before swapping it for something else. The only reason this 911 is on the market is because he fancies a Mercedes-Benz SL (R107) and who can blame him. This Porsche is one of a number that he’s owned and he’s maintained it was well as any of its former keepers. That latest service not only saw all the fluids and filters changed but the brake fluid and the CV boots for the driveshafts.

In other words, this car is ready to be enjoyed. Its condition appears to be excellent, though not too good to feel guilty about using it. Similarly, its mileage isn’t in the ‘investment’ zone. Before the rest of the planet awakes from its winter doze and with pandemic restrictions looking likely to be lifted, everyone will be after a sporty convertible. Get in now however, and this tidy 911 might just go under the radar. Having said that, we still think this 993 will comfortably achieve between £29,500 and £35,000.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.