This 1989 Porsche 911 Targa is offered for sale on behalf of the original owner. Finding cars that remain with the individual who bought it new is a major bonus for collectors who seek out vehicles with excellent provenance. The 911 in targa-top form used to be somewhat undesirable but that’s all changed, as this 101,000 mile example listed here on eBay is currently bid to $50,000 with the reserve unmet.
The Carrera G-Series is perhaps the most recognizable generation of the air-cooled era. For Porsche collectors, this was the model generation that merged the earliest 911s with a modern platform that made daily driving a largely pleasant experience, even by modern standards. Of course, the biggest draw for a Porsche enthusiast is the much-improved G50 transmission that came equipped with Borg-Warner synchronizers – a game-changer compared to the earlier 915 unit.
As you can see in the photos above, this 911 Targa was ordered new with front and rear spoilers. Although I am not a fan of the whale-tail on narrow-body cars, I have to admit the overall “look” works rather well here. I suspect that has more to do with the awesome front chin spoiler, and I also would like to see the rear spoiler deleted while keeping the front air dam. Regardless of spoiler preferences, this 911 looks quite tidy inside and out, with a clean cockpit and bodywork that shows no signs of rust.
The window sticker shows some other interesting features, including a factory short shift kit for just $67.00. I cannot even imagine what that same OEM upgrade would cost on a modern 911. The seller does disclose that the odometer was previously replaced, which is a minor concern as you never quite know what you’re getting in terms of odometer accuracy, but the seller claims the mileage was “…certified by a mechanic to be correct.” Regardless, this is a tidy Targa, but one that is likely still short of the reserve by a few thousands.
Black is a good color on 911’s, particularly on these G body SC/Carreras. The black heart Fuchs and black anodized targa bar complete the murdered-out look. I have this one’s father in my garage, an SC targa in Guards red (Indian red for the non-PC crowd). Love, love, love the spoilers; front and back. By the way, Jeff, the purists will tell you either both spoilers or none. Chin spoiler only monkeys with the handling at high speeds, they say. I would like to hear from bobhess on that…This one pushes my buttons, as you can tell.
I agree the spoilers should be used in pairs. At one of the PCA War Bonnet Tech Sessions in Oklahoma City in the ’80s the factory representative explained how the spoilers were supposed to work. Introduced in ’74, the chin and “duck tail” spoilers on the Carreras were designed as a set to handle the high speeds of the European engines on the Autobahns. He also said that if you didn’t push the cars past 120 mph and didn’t want both spoilers, the chin spoiler by itself would stabilize the front end. That must be true because our 912E with a top speed of 122 mph (depending on wind direction) was very stable with the front spoiler only. Our 2021 Chrysler van with the big engine will go to 120 and has a sizeable chin spoiler on the front. We had a customer with a ’74 Carrera Targa that had the duck tail but no chin spoiler that got very light up front when we road tested the paint job.
I had a 1979 SC for years. I had it build with slightly higher compression and hotter cams. I drove it with the front chin, without whale tail. The chin keeps the front stabile a lot better at higher speeds.
I drove a lot on the autobahn, travelling Holland – Poland. Sold it around 350K kms on the clock. Still miss that car, oak green, turbo seats.. Loved it.
Nice ride. They’re so expensive, it’s like when they were new…out of my beer budget reach!
My ‘79 didn’t have either spoiler and it would get kinda wonky in the rear around 120. Never was a huge fan of the whale tail and always wondered if a chin spoiler alone would’ve been any help. Sounds like not. Miss those days and that car.
Hard to believe you could buy a car and put 100000 miles on it and sell it for more than it cost new 25 years later
Never liked these. The 911 was a pretty good looking car, but these ruined the look.
Ended at $55,600, Reserve Not Met.