Old-School 911 3.2 Carrera Cabriolet For Sale

(CTN News) – It’s a red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet. That’s so ’80s it’s almost comical. Guards Red, with red wheels, red carpets, red piping, and a black hood and black seats.

I dare say they made a few examples barely distinguishable from this one in 1989, when this car rolled off the Zuffenhausen line.

There aren’t many in such splendid condition as this one. The past three decades may have passed in a blur of ever-smaller mobile phones, but this example has stood the test of time.

When I look at this car, I see a pinstriped, red-braced yuppie driving through the city, hood down and rah-rahing loudly into a brick, maybe ordering a table at a swanky wine bar with a bottle of Bolly on ice.

If all that seems obvious. On wheels, it’s a cliché. A red 911 was a cornerstone of the ’80s, bridging the ’70s and ’90s.

Still, it’s cute. Yes, this car came from a bad era, but that wasn’t its fault. A 3.2 Carrera is even more sought after these days, as we’ve learned to love the Ford Capri all over again.

From 1984-1989, the 3.2 Carrera was Porsche’s most successful 911. In Porsche’s key markets, the decision to piggyback on the huge economic boom coincided with buyers’ enduring love for Porsche’s classics.

Almost didn’t happen, of course. The company had originally planned to replace its most iconic model with the 928 in 1979, but the 911 refused to die.

Peter Schutz, Porsche’s CEO from 1981 to 1989, noticed a chart Carrera  on the wall of Dr Helmuth Bott’s office when he walked into his office.

These three models represent the company’s product development. In 1981, the 911 line ended, but the 944 and 928 lines continued.

He picked up a black marker and walked over to the wall to extend the 911’s line. Bott cheered at this.

When you consider that the 911 was pensionable, it was a risky move. Cabriolets sold well, even though they cost a lot more than coupes, and 911 sales remained very strong.

After the launch of the 3.2 Carrera, things were off the rails and, in turn, sealed the 911’s future and that of the company.

It is strange to think about all this. The ’80s were not retrospective; they were full of innovation and technology. There stood an air-cooled Porsche from the ’60s with pedals sprouting from the floor, center stage.

Of course, the 3.2 Carrera had been updated. A new engine, Bosch electronic injection and ignition, and a brand-new transmission replaced the old 915, but the classic design and haphazard interior remained.

What attracted people to the 911 call? A Ferrari Testarossa looking every bit the throwback to the sixties could quite easily be parked next to them. Still, I’m glad people like it.

It would be a sad world without outliers. Although it’s no longer air-cooled and has top-hinged pedals, and the interior doesn’t look like a switch factory explosion, its easily identifiable shape and funny engine configuration remain.

It’s the car you see here that kept the line going, a period-perfect example.

What makes a Porsche a Carrera?

Originally, ‘Carrera’ was the name of the Type 547 four-camshaft engine designed by Dr Ernst Fuhrmann. Porsche later used this suffix for the most powerful engine versions, such as the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera or the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. However, Carrera has almost become established as a synonym for the 911 model series.

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