FOR SALE- The first Australian 911 Cabriolet, original, collectable and special

[1st]

{ many photos on carsales ... }

The first and earliest iteration of anything these days considered “special” is always marked out as just that little more desirable, valuable and collectable, and is highly sought after….consider:

A ’53 Rolex Submariner

A ‘51’ bottle of Grange

An Achille Gaggia 1950 lever espresso machine

The first ’54 356 Speedster

A ’65 901 coupe

The 911R …

 

The first of a particular Porsche is extra special, especially vintage, air cooled Porsches. The unique early chassis builds, the rare and special “first Porsche cars” are at the zenith of Porsche desirability and collectability.

I currently have one such car for sale. The very first air cooled RHD 911 Cabriolet chassis to be imported into Australia, and a car understood to be the first 911 Cabriolet manufactured in RHD for the world. Original paint, matching numbers, mechanically rebuilt, pristine interior and all original in condition and presentation, a landmark local Australian Porsche and a very rare opportunity to secure a desirable and collectable air cooled Porsche which is an entry ticket to all the best Porsche club and Porsche Cars Australia events Australia wide.

 

Not cheap, but the *best* rarely is. Consider that this car is more than a brilliantly original air-cooled Porsche, it’s a one-off lifestyle event car that will deliver its new owner pride of ownership and driving enjoyment in spades.

 

Imagine what you would you have to pay for the first 356 delivered in Australia, the first 356 Speedster or the first 901/911 ...? Well, in July ’17 the first Australian 356 coupe sold for a reported $1.5m and the first Australian Speedster $1.4m. Early 1950’s 356’s can be had for around $300,000 and Speedsters $400,000- $1,000,000, revealing that arch collectors value these first of their types in RHD in our country at a significant premium to a ‘standard’ car…. and this puts my asking price for this special chassis into sharp perspective.

 

So, for sale I have the first 911 Cabriolet delivered in Australia, build/chassis no 112 from the initial production batch of Cabriolet’s to run down the Zuffenhausen assembly line in the first week of 911 Cabriolet production, in October 1982. I have done much research and have not found an earlier 911 Cabriolet in any other RHD market, giving this car a high likelihood that it is the first RHD 911 Cabriolet ever produced; historically Australia always received the first of each particular new Porsche model in RHD ahead of the UK and other markets which in part explains this.

 

I’ve owned this car twice, today and during the mid to late 1990’s, and I always kept an eye on it to ensure I bought it back after selling it due to an overseas move for work in 2000. Full history with 5 owners, myself twice. This car was the first Cabriolet body style Porsche to be imported into Australia after the last 356 Cabriolet was sold in 1965, a eighteen year hiatus for a Cabriolet Porsche.

Being the first of Australia of it’s type, it has been featured at several Porsche events as the guest of Porsche, culminating at being invited into the “Porschestrasse” tent featuring the Factory race cars and all the other local, special competition and road Porsches. Only two G Series bodied impact bumper Porsche’s were invited to Rennsport in 2016, the first Australian RHD '75 930 Turbo 3.0 delivered and the first 911 Cabriolet in Australia, this very car. The Porschstrasse invitation-only display housed “significant Australian Porsches” including the first 356 imported, 356 Carrera, 2.7 Carrera RS, 935, 911 RSR 2.8, 930 3.0 Turbo, significant Australian 911 race cars and many others including the “rolling museum” Factory museum cars flown over for the event.

And the highlight- running laps of the Sydney Motorsport Park track as a pack, with everything from the ’51 356 running at speed being lapped by everything from a genuine RSR, the 935 of Rusty French and the Le Mans winning Factory owned RSR; a priceless experience I was lucky enough to participate in.

Google the youtube Porsche factory channel using the term “Porsche Rennsport Australia 2016: Porschestrasse” where there are several clips, and you can see this SC Cab in the footage, and also get a feel for the calibre of special Porsche invited into the Factory tent and the event enjoyment a future owner can replicate with this very car.

From the press reports surrounding Rennsport:

“The first Porsches to ever arrive in Australia will be reunited, a maroon 356 ‘split screen’ coupe and silver 356 Cabriolet, both of which arrived on local shores in September 1951.

A further ‘first cars in Australia’ line-up includes the first 911, 911 Cabriolet, 911 Turbo and 924 into the country, in addition to the first right-hand-drive 356 Cabriolet and the only right-hook 964 RSR 3.8 ever built. One of only 55 911 RSR 2.8 coupes will also be on display in the Porschestrasse area.” AUSTALIAN MOTOR MAGAZINE, April 29th 2016.

 

This very same Australian delivery 964 3.8 RSR chassis recently sold at auction in London for GBP 933,135 ($AU 1,656,400)…..the values of the cars invited into the Rennsport Australia Porschestrasse tent is serious money.

In Summary:

Oct 1982 build 911 SC Cabriolet 3.0

Australian (Hamiltons) delivered with chassis/gearbox/engine/books all numbers matching. Delivered new in Melbourne post motor show it has been a local Adelaide car from it’s second owner in 1986. I know all the prior SA owners of this car; always garaged and cosseted, I know the second (College Park), third (Norwood), fourth (me), fifth (Victor Harbor) and sixth (Hawthorn) owners and I’m now, again, the car’s seventh chorological owner.

Correspondence from Porsche Cars Australia confirming it as the first Australian 911 Cabriolet

1983 Melbourne Motor show car

Full books, tools, correct tyre inflator etc

Rims are factory optioned larger 7’s and 8’s

Low km for age- 196,736kms

Recent rebuilt engine by local specialists Buiks at a cost of $17,000. Torquey leaded petrol 3.0 engine, the perfect accompaniment to the car with 204h.p. and bulletproof reliability.

Original factory paint – completely accident free, all correct Factory body and engine bay decals present and correct. Micrometer paint measurements are available to validate this.

Original Factory fitted manual hood (desirable, as these early hoods are non electric, meaning there are no very expensive electric hood motor and actuators to replace ever)

2 original tonneau covers: the very rare full length touring tonneau with factory fitted dashboard and body Tenax fasteners, and smaller standard 2+2 configuration tonneau hood cover

Restored interior, front seats and carpet to as new factory specification at a cost of $4,000

Original Becker Grand Prix flat button radio included

Desirable spec- manual hood and seat controls and rare full tonneau cover – easier to maintain, less to go wrong and more in keeping of true Speedster style roadster Porsche

 

My research has revealed that the first 200 SC Cabriolet chassis were produced in 1982 in white or red – with this car in Grand Prix white being same colour as the hero car in the 1983 SC Cabriolet brochure, a copy of which is in the file of this car. Just forty three 911SC Cabriolet’s were imported into Australia in 1983, comparable to the number of 3.2 Carrera Speedsters (40 units) imported, all of which had similar performance to the SC with their unleaded fuel, lower 217 h.p. 1988 emissions engine tune.

This car is in the best 1980’s combination in Grand Prix White with Grey-beige interior and carpets, non wide body, no rear deck spoiler and no “shark fins” on the rear guards, the purest look to the 911 Cabriolet, proving the earliest iteration is often the best.

Collectability often comes down to the absolute numbers. So, from the official import records here are the facts. There were 487 x 911SC’s imported to Australia between 1979 and 1983 (Coupes- 334, Targas- 110  and Cabriolets 43) therefore of these 487 cars just 8% were the Cabriolet body style, marking them out as very rare indeed. For comparison here are some other collectable Porsche Australian official import numbers revealing how rare an early SC Cabrio is:

911 “longhoods” 1969-1973- 346 units of all types imported in RHD

930 Turbo - 196 units imported

911 Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet - 208 units imported

911 Carrera 3.2 Coupe - 434 units imported

911 Carrera 3.2 Targa - 123 units imported

911 3.2 Speedster 1988 - 40 units imported

993 Turbo- 169 units imported

MkI 996 GT3- 90 units imported

MkII 996 GT3- 91 units imported

Mk I 997 GT3 (incl GT3RS)- 142 units imported

MkII 997 GT3 (incl GT3RS)- 121 units imported

I have driven an ’88 217 h.p. (unleaded low emission engines from 1987 had 217 h.p.) 3.2 Speedster I helped source for an interstate Porsche friend, and there really was little if any difference performance wise between the SC and 3.2 to drive – except the SC Cab has the practicality of rear seats, a full length cockpit tonneau and a proper and practical watertight hood. Speedsters are Speedsters yes, but this particular chassis and it’s unique history is a great collectable Porsche in its own right, especially at well under half the current value of an ’88 3.2 Speedster.

I own and have driven both 911 Coupes and Cabriolets and in today’s real world driving, there is nothing to compare to a roof down, wind in the hair run in an air cooled 911 Cabrio, hearing the engine fan whine and the intake roar of the engine as you row through the gears; it’s the purest way to experience the full air cooled 911 experience. I’ll miss it greatly, particularly in this very sweet, tight and original car.

 

Sure to be invited again Porschestrasse tent factory cars and I’ll happily pass on to the new owner the Porsche cars Australia contact details in advance of Rennsport 2019, reputedly to be held in Melbourne this time around; what a fantastic event for the new owner this will be to have the first Australian 911 Cabriolet to participate in.

 

Recent Works:

Rebuilt motor completed by Adelaide’s leading independent Porsche specialist Buiks 500 kms ago at a cost of $17,000 and including:

Retrimmed front seats in correct factory leather front and back and ensuring the materials have the correct factory perforations and padding $4,000

The car was the 1983 Melbourne motor show car, and the contemporary motoring journalist Bob Jennings journalist told me upon seeing the car at a recent Adelaide event that he remembers driving it from Adelaide to Melbourne in early 1983 in the summer heat, with the roof down the whole way.

At this price level there are many good Porsches to choose from. What sets this particular car part is that this car represents a high point for collectable air cooled early 911’s and being the first of it’s kind to come to Australia, is a rolled gold entry ticket into the best Porsche and classic car events. Ownership of this car brings both air cooled Porsche enjoyment at it’s best and it is an investment in your lifestyle, your enjoyment of the Porsche marque alongside the best and most collectable Porsches in Australia. Try to source, and then guess a price on this car’s comparable chassis- the first 356 Coupe and Cab in Australia, the first 930 Turbo, the first 356 Speedster, the first 993 RS CS, the first 356 Carrera etc, and you can see the investment value offered here.

 

You are buying not only a pristine, original early air cooled 911 but also an investment in your enjoyment of the marque, being eligible and suitable to attend all the best Porsche club and Factory organised events in Australia. You can’t buy Rusty French’s 935’s, the “HOT-911”now Gulf Blue RSR, a local delivery Carrera RS (there were just 8), the first 356, first 901, first 356 Speedster or the first 3.0 Turbo, but here is your opportunity to secure the first air cooled 911 Cabriolet chassis delivered into Australia, possibly the world; a blue chip future investment.

 

Thanks for reading this far. Serious offers considered at or near my asking price; if you’re reading this no doubt you’re a connoisseur of all things Porsche (and we may have met over the years) and recognise this rare opportunity to secure an heirloom Porsche with condition, history, provenance and entry credentials into center stage at all the great Porsche club and manufacturer events to come. I look forward to discussing the car with you, which is currently on display in the showroom at the Porsche Center Adelaide. Act quickly, and take it from me, a collector of many years standing; the best Porsches like this are snapped up VERY quickly.

$188,668

Stewart Kay

Adelaide SA

0401 722 222

[Coastr]

Lots of effort into the ad, and I love me some SC but you’ll find this unit is aircooled not water cooled.  

[1st]

Thanks Coastr ... of course you're correct ... I've either been staring at the screen too long or I was subliminally recalling yesterday's drive in my manual early 928 ....

[Airhead]

What is " Low km for age " ?

 

[Dreamr]

19 hours ago, Airhead said:

What is " Low km for age " ?

 

The average k's of cars travelled in Australia is 15k - 20k per year ...

Say this car is a 1983 model, that makes it 35 years old.

At say 15 k's per year, that would make it average if it had 525 k's ...

This one had travelled under 6,000 k's per year ...I'd class it as low for age ... 😁

[Coastr]

Anything between 100 and 150k for an SC is low km.  Anything under 100 is super low and requires evidence.  Most are between 150 and 300.  Even then odometers break speedos get replaced - all sorts of things happen.  Buy on condition.   The value in this one is in the details here.

[Airhead]

4 hours ago, Dreamr said:

The average k's of cars travelled in Australia is 15k - 20k per year ...

Say this car is a 1983 model, that makes it 35 years old.

At say 15 k's per year, that would make it average if it had 525 k's ...

This one had travelled under 6,000 k's per year ...I'd class it as low for age ... 😁

Did I miss something? Full comprehensive sell list and spiel but kms not mentioned. Just think that's a bit strange.

Car looks fantastic by the way and clearly very desirable.

[Peter M]

196,736km

[Dreamr]

1 hour ago, Airhead said:

Did I miss something? Full comprehensive sell list and spiel but kms not mentioned. Just think that's a bit strange.

Car looks fantastic by the way and clearly very desirable.

You are correct ... I missed that it wasn't in the spiel. It's as Peter M mentioned above

I saw the k's on the actual car sales advert .... 

[1st]

Hi folks - apologies for not adding kms, yes it’s 196,736 documented kms, the condition of the paint, interior and mechanicals is testimony to the period quality of these sports cars and how well it’s been cared for. 

 

Do shout out with any questions 

 

cheers 

Stewart 

[smit2100]

2 hours ago, Airhead said:

Did I miss something? Full comprehensive sell list and spiel but kms not mentioned. Just think that's a bit strange.

Car looks fantastic by the way and clearly very desirable.

@ Stewart. GLWS.   Partial to a long post and had me thinking early on what's the asking price but was not tempted to gloss over the details in search of the bottom line.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/a32639/this-porsche-996-turbo-for-sale-has-an-absurd-590000-miles-on-it/

@airhead. So above is perhaps in the extreme range even though its  is in the  5xx k range.  My Magna doodle stylus  screen scratching calculations on on the phone leads to a circa  3  multiplier on your average numbers or alternatively lots of boost hits to the tune of averaging  2.5 tanks of fuel all week every week since it left the dealer's showroom or 2 smt  black spur runs a week  (1800 in total on a cumulative basis) in between some weekly errands..

Speaking of cabs, how rare is the red 930 turbo cab that  was doing laps around the block in Lilydale two weeks ago.

 

[1st]

Thanks smit2100 - long post but I'm a marketeer so hey ! . No Turbo  cabs were "officially" imported I understand although a couple of special customers were looked after by the local importer. Most likely a UK or US import and certainly so if a post 1985 car.

Cheers Stewart