Produced in Germany between 1964 and 1989, the Porsche 911 was originally developed as a much more powerful, larger and more comfortable replacement for the Porsche 356. The new car made its debut at the 1963 “Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung”, better known as the Frankfurt Motor Show to English speakers.

Initially, Porsche designated the car as the “901”, however they faced resistance from Peugeot on the grounds that in France it had exclusive rights to car names formed by three numbers with a ‘0’ in the middle. Rather than sell the car under a new name solely in France, Porsche changed the name to ‘911’ for all markets.

Mechanically, the 911 was notable for being air-cooled and possessing a rear-mounted engine. From its inception, the car was modified both by private teams and the factory itself for racing, rallying and other types of automotive competition. The original 911 series is often cited as the most successful competition car ever produced, especially when its variations are included. An example is the powerful 911-derived 935, which won “24 Hours of Le Mans” and other major sports car races outright against prototypes.

Between 1989 and 1994 the Porsche 911 (964) model was produced, featuring significant styling revisions over previous 911 models. The 964 was the first car to be offered with Porsche’s ‘Tiptronic’ automatic transmission and all-wheel drive as options. In addition, a new naturally aspirated engine was added to all 964 models, along with revised suspension, power steering and ABS brakes. The interior was also revised with dual airbags as standard and a new automatic climate control system, as well as an update to the car’s instrumentation.

During production of the 964 only 63,762 cars rolled off the production line, making it the rarest generation of 911 ever made.

THE CAR

Personally imported to Australia from the United Kingdom in September 2005, this 1990 Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2 Cabriolet is finished in the stunning and rare metallic Tahoe Blue with a contrasting Cream Leather interior and blue Targa-top roof.

Purchased by the current owner in 1997, it is a three-owner car and has a comprehensive service and repair history dating back to 1991. Import documentation is included as well.

Equipped with a 3.6L M64 naturally aspirated flat-6 engine, this 964 has plenty of power on the road. Showing 144,000 miles on the clock, the vehicle underwent a complete engine rebuild in 2006 and the blue electric Targa-top roof was replaced in February 2024. The 4-speed ‘Tiptronic’ automatic transmission changes gears smoothly and the inclusion of power steering and ABS brakes makes handling a breeze.

Other features include automatic climate control, power windows, power seats and an electric rear spoiler that raises automatically at speeds exceeding 80km/h. The spoiler can also be raised manually from the cabin. An aftermarket ‘Kenwood’ stereo has been fitted as well.

A stellar example of Porsche engineering in a rare colour – currently registered in SA.