Two Porsche Carreras: One is $99,000, the Other is $34,100. Why?
Updated: Mar 29, 2020
At the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2020 Collector Car auctions, one Porsche Carrera sold for $99,000 and another sold for $34,100. Why the difference?
The Porsche Carrera 3.2 offers one of the best buys in air-cooled Porsches. It is a refined Porsche that still gives you the visceral air-cooled Porsche experience in a package that is generally affordable. According to the latest Sports Car Market Price Guide the median price of a 1987-1989 coupe is $56,000 while a Cabriolet is $49,000.
Let’s first look at the specs of these two Carreras because that will tell the real reason for the price differential.
1987 Porsche Carrera 3.2 Coupe – Sold for $99,000
This Carrera coupe is finished in Venetian Blue Metallic with gray leather. It is a low mileage 9,023 documented miles car with original options that include: elevated steering hub, left and right heated seats, Reno SQR cassette radio, central locking system, left and right sport seats, sport shocks and a sunroof. It comes complete with all books, manuals, tools and records. It has a 5-speed manual transmission but does not call out the G-50 transmission so I expect it is the last of 915 transmissions that appeared in 1987.
1989 Porsche Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet - Sold for $34,100
This is a triple black Carrera Cabriolet: black exterior, black top and black interior. This is a strong resale color combination. It has the same 3.2 liter engine as the Coupe above but features the upgraded G50 transmission that is generally more desirable with buyers. It features leather sport seats that are reported to be in perfect condition with matching carpet. Options include air conditioning, cruise control, power seats and an upgraded sound system. Miles are not stated in the description.
Why the Price Difference in these Two Porsche Carreras
There are several key drivers why one Carrera achieved a price almost three times higher than the other:
A Coupe is more desirable than a Cabriolet as referenced by Sports Car Market’s pricing guide indicating that cabriolet is generally 13% less expensive than a coupe.
The Coupe’s Venetian Blue color is a unique color versus the black of the Cabriolet. According to the PCA Rennbow color site, Venetian Blue rates as 3 cans in rarity versus the black at one can.
The coupe is a low mileage example at 9,032 miles versus the unstated miles of the cabriolet which would indicate the miles being greater than 50,000 and probably closer to 100,000 plus.
Original versus a refurbishment: the coupe is all original versus the Cabriolet reporting a repaint.
It all boils down to do you want a collector-grade Carrera 3.2 or do you want to drive and enjoy your Carrera 3.2? Every mile you put on the coupe depreciates the value while you can drive and enjoy the cabriolet and get your purchase price back when you go to sell.
Full transparency: I am partial to these cars because I own a 1986 Porsche Carrera 3.2.
Tags: Porsche 911 Carrera, Porsche Carrera, Porsche Cabriolet, Porsche G-Body, Porsche sale