1988 Porsche (G-series) 911 Carrera 930 Turbo Cabriolet

Highlights

• 1988 Porsche 911 / 930 Turbo Cabriolet
• Rare RHD UK-market car
• Extensive history from new
• Fully documented engine rebuild in 2014

General Description

Porsche had been experimenting with turbocharging on its competition cars since the late 1960s, and the motivation for building the first 911 Turbo was the need to homologate the latest model for international motorsport. Such was its immediate impact, however, that production numbers went way beyond any minimum requirements set out by the FIA.

Launched at the 1974 Paris Motor Show, the Turbo was referred to using its internal codename of 930 and initially it was fitted with a 3-litre engine, onto which was bolted a single KKK turbocharger. In this form it produced 256bhp, but in 1978 the engine was bored out to 3.3 litres and an intercooler was added, upping the power to 296bhp.

The suspension and brakes were upgraded at the same time, and Car and Driver recorded a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds. That made it the fastest-accelerating car that the magazine had sampled during the decade.

The 930 lived on through the 1980s, and from 1983 there was the option of a 325bhp ‘Works Performance Increase’ model that cut the 0-60mph sprint to only 4.6 seconds. It could reach a top speed of 173mph and also came with a quad-pipe exhaust system, plus an additional oil cooler. Throughout this entire period, the 930 Turbo was fitted with Porsche’s four-speed gearbox – not until the final year of production did the company install the Getrag G50 five-speeder.

Cabriolet and Targa versions were added in the mid-1980s – as was a factory version of the race-inspired ‘Flachbau’ slant-nose car – and the 930 Turbo lasted until 1989, when this landmark model was replaced by the heavily updated 964.

About this specific vehicle

With a total of only 628 Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolets having been built for the European market, this is a rare example of the German marque’s enduring sports car. An original UK-market ‘C16-code’ car, it is 1 of 39 right-hand-drive Cabriolets that were imported in 1988 and was first registered on 18 January that year.

Now offered for sale at The Classic Motor Hub, it is finished in Silver Metallic with a Dark Blue hood and Marine Blue leather seats that are both heated and electrically operated, and has 16-inch Fuchs alloy wheels in gloss black with polished rims.

Serviced and maintained early in its life by the AFN Official Porsche Centres in London’s Brompton Road and Chiswick, this 930 Turbo Cabriolet has an extensive history file that includes more than 30 years’ worth of invoices and MoT certificates.

There are also plentiful hand-written notes cataloguing the various work that’s been done to the car over the years. These include the fitment of a Haywood and Scott twin-outlet exhaust in 2000 and a shortshift gearchange kit in 2002.

After being acquired by a new owner in November 2014, when the mileage was recorded as being 58,200, the turbocharged flat-six engine was given a full rebuild. The gearbox was also rebuilt and the clutch replaced, and the whole process is documented via photographs that are included in the history file.

The Porsche has been regularly serviced, in recent years by classic car specialist Landbeasts, and when it was MoT’d in November 2021 it passed with no advisories.

Offered for sale with its original driver’s manual plus the guarantee and maintenance book, this Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet is a well-maintained and highly useable example of this iconic 1980s poster car.