• Year of manufacture 
    1989
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    166
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    United Kingdom
  • Exterior colour 
    Silver

Description

  • One of 139 right-hand drive Speedsters built—and one of just 64 delivered new to the U.K.
  • Offered with documentation of recent full renewal by UK Porsche specialist Paul Stephens
  • This included a bare metal repaint, mechanical and suspension works in 2019, with over £40,000 spent.

Please note that this lot will need to be collected in Chobham, U.K.

A desirable, single-year Porsche factory special; just 2,104 produced
The first in an ongoing series of driver-focused, Porsche 356-inspired 911s

The Porsche 911 Speedster was a very long time coming: Conceived as a nod to the iconic 1954 356 Speedster, it appeared first as a series of prototypes in the mid-1980s before the production version finally debuted for the 1989 model year.

If the 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster’s heritage and purist focus made it instantly appealing, however, its limited, single-year production run made it hard to get. Just 2,104 were built; of those, only 139 were equipped with right-hand drive. Fewer still—just 64—were allotted to the United Kingdom. This example, finished in silver over a black interior, is one of them.

Though the bulk of 911 Speedsters built, this car included, wore a wide “Turbo look” body kit, each was equipped with standard Carrera 3.2 running gear. This means a naturally aspirated, air-cooled 3.2-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine producing 215 hp; it is paired with a five-speed manual transaxle.

Stowed beneath the car’s rear double-bubble fiberglass tonneau cover, positioned where a 911’s rear seats would otherwise be, is a manually operated cloth convertible roof. It offers only minimal protection from the elements—but then, minimalistic, open-air driving enjoyment, rather than all-season versatility, is the Speedster’s primary order of business. A cut-down, raked-back windshield completes the 356-inspired look.

Immediately collectable when new, the enduring popularity of the Carrera 3.2 Speedster is such that Porsche has reprised the formula several times since 1989. This is an excellent example of the factory special that began that ongoing tradition, with a right-hand drive configuration and U.K. ownership history that places an already rare car in even more exclusive company. Complete with new Classic Porsche radio and battery kill switch. To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0420.


RM Sotheby's
5 Heron Square
Richmond
TW9 1EL
United Kingdom
Contact Person Kontaktperson
Title 
Mr
First name 
Augustin
Last name 
Sabatie-Garat

Phone 
+44-2078517070