Is the air-cooled cult turning classic Porsches into a plaything of the elite?
OUT OF REACH
Grant: I love that there are so many air-cooled cars still around. I don’t love it so much that their ridiculous value has changed many owners’ relationships with their cars.
Mark: Any commodity made in limited numbers is going to become more scarce as time goes by, thereby increasing in value as supply can’t satisfy demand. If you’re buying now, then the answer to the question is yes – if you already have it, then possibly not.
Brendan: I drive my 964 daily but values are starting to creep beyond the middle classes. It also doesn’t help that it costs £4000 to fix an oil leak.
Tony: In the 1990s, you could pick up a reasonable 1970s 911 SC for £7500. Those days are long gone…
Bob: My 996 is my daily driver, only because the entry cost was relatively affordable and I do my own servicing. Any air-cooled 911, even a project car, is way beyond my financial reach.
FOR EVERYONE
Mark: I run my SC on a normal working man’s budget, I just look after it very well.
Jane: If you have a Porsche, whatever the model, she’s there to be driven. Otherwise the spirit dies.
Nigel: Drive it, break it, mend it, repeat.
Simon: I’ve had mine nearly 20 years and don’t consider myself ‘elite’. But if a member of the elite wants to offer me really stupid money, I’d be a fool not to at least consider it!
Phil: I had a 997.2 C2S with PDK and Chrono – my first Porsche after a 40-year wait. It was fast, and nice inside, but soul? So I sold it. A year later, I bought a 993 manual, neglected but with only 36,000 miles. I wouldn’t swap it.
Richard: Most air-cooled cars are half the price of most new 911s. With no depreciation, they must have cheaper whole life costs too.You could fund a fairly major rebuild from the depreciation costs of a new one.
60% / 40% split between people’s car and elite plaything
What’s the verdict?
The desirability of air-cooled cars has put them out of reach for many, but the message seems to be that an older 911 might save you money in the long term. And if you’ve got it, drive it.
Next month: With the 992 GT3 in development, is there still a place for a 500+ bhp Porsche road car? Visit the Club’s Facebook Page for your chance to contribute.