Entry Level

While you weren’t looking, values of the ’80s air-cooled Porsche 911s have rocketed. We consider its replacement as the entry-level 911 in the shape of the 996 generation.

- Paul Wager

Over the years working on classic car titles I’ve heard all those tales from seasoned car traders of the days when E-Types could be had for £500... but when it comes to the £5000 Porsche 911, I remember it myself.

Time was when the big-bumpered air-cooled cars had dropped well out of fashion and the market wanted either the newer, easier-to-live with models or the ’60s classics. That Guards Red 911 SC of Athena poster fame was once within reach at MGB money and if it was a Targa or an unflattering colour then the price was even more tempting.

Fast forward some six years and the market has changed remarkably. As Angus at Greatworth Classics points out, your £5000 car from six years ago would most likely have been a UK-supplied car with all the rust issues that implies, whereas once the values started to rise, it was suddenly worthwhile importing more solid examples.

The end result was inevitably that the fashion for all things ’80s which sees Peugeot 205 GTi’s going for £10,000 swept the impact-bumpered Porsches along with it and your ’80s 911SC is now a £40,000 car.

So what replaced the 911 as the affordable entry ticket to the Porsche experience? Well firstly there’s an important distinction to make between affordable Porsche and affordable Porsche 911. If it’s an affordable Porsche you’re after, then ignoring the front-engined cars for a moment, the Boxster is the current champion. You’ll see Boxsters advertised everywhere at the £4000 mark with more than a few bumping along at the £3000 level but if it’s the iconic 911 you’re after, then you might be surprised.