A few years ago – literally – it was a commonly held belief that the Targa-roofed Porsche 911 was among the least desirable made. Values reflected this, and you’d be hard-pressed to go to market with a Targa variant and expect top dollar. That’s all changed, however, as air-cooled 911 values have shot up, but the most dramatic rise in desirability has been with the 964-chassis cars. This era of the 911 was produced in fairly limited quantities compared to other model years, but the Targa was sold in very small batches, which is why this 1990 911 Carrera 2 Targa with just 12,000 original miles is such a find.

The production numbers for the Carrera 2 and 4 Targas was 3534 (C2) 1329 (C4), respectively, and far fewer of those cars still exist today. Factor in attrition due to accidents and mechanical mishaps, along with all of the cars that companies like Singer have permanently removed from the road, and it’s almost guaranteed those numbers are far lower. The ironic thing about all of this is the 964 911s used to be among the least desirable as a collective whole. If you were selling a cabriolet from this generation in the early 2000s, you’d be lucky to get $10,000 or thereabouts for a driver. If you owned a 964 since new or at least since the middle 90s, Singer did you a huge favor by depleting the supply significantly. As expected, with very low miles as this car has, the Targa’s interior is in gorgeous condition.

The 964 came at a time in history when financial markets were not in great shape, so as it typically happens with luxury goods, demand falls off significantly. The 964 was also a radically different 911, with its technical sophistication increasing dramatically, and some loyalists finding the changes – including the adaptation of four-wheel-drive – to be a downgrade in the evolution of the 911. Of course, like the later water-cooled 996 generation, Porsche enthusiasts have a tendency to struggle with changes to the iconic 911 model line, but the 964 had the double-whammy of a modest economic depression and skepticism over the features of the transformative 964 platform.

Of course, the fears of the brand’s evangelists were unfounded (for the most part), and the 964 was still just as much a 911 underneath as any other model generation. After all, the legendary 959 supercar featured four-wheel-drive quite predominantly, so it was hardly a surprise that the mass-marketed 911 would also offer such a configuration. The seller’s car is also viewed by many to be the final generation with the classic 911 shape, as the later 993 would feature a much more wind-swept design. All in all, the 964 is absolutely one of the most collectible model generations out there, and this low-mileage Targa model is bid to just over $55,000, well shy of its current valuation in today’s marketplace. Find it here on eBay with five days left.