A good story is almost as tempting as the car itself sometimes, and in the case of this low mileage 1980 Porsche 911 Targa, the seller spins a good yarn. He claims his father received it as a form of payment from a dentist upon the completion of a masonry job, and the 911 has been in the family ever since. The seller’s father passed away last year, and now the car is up for grabs and still in extremely nice condition, wearing the interesting color combination of Beige Metallic over Bitter Chocolate (that could not have been a hot seller in 1980). The 911 now sports a whale-tail rear spoiler and front chin spoiler from a turbo model, and it’s listed here on eBay with bids to $85,000 and the option to Buy-It-Now for $125,000.
Now, the Buy-It-Now seems slightly optimistic to me for a targa model wearing undesirable colors and sporting a non-original whale tail spoiler. But if you remove the spoiler add-ons, you’re left with a bone-stock 911 with under 30,000 original miles, and that will always be a car in demand – colors be damned. The paint scheme is sort of a final reminder of what was popular in the late 70s, and as a German car fan who likes offbeat colors, I certainly don’t mind it; however, getting the best value as a buyer for an expensive targa sort of demands you find one wearing a more popular color scheme. Regardless, the paint looks to be excellent, and I would likely dig this one even more if it didn’t have the rear spoiler.
The interior is in mint condition as well, and I love the name of the interior color code. The dashboard is a deep, deep brown, and in mint condition. The 911 has lived in the American southwest, and that dry, arid climate is great for rust avoidance but can be hell on an interior. Fortunately, the seller’s car was apparently garaged in a five-car arrangement which ensured the 911 only enjoyed the benefits of living in New Mexico with none of the penalties. The bucket seats are standard-issue and not the desirable sport buckets, but the leather is in outstanding condition. The same goes for the carpets, which have to be a hard color scheme to find these days should you need to replace it following an errant coffee spill.
The engine bay is bone-stock, and while the seller doesn’t detail specific maintenance tasks that have been completed, he claims that the 911 Targa is ready to go, with none of the common air-cooled quirks and faults left to fix. A final interesting detail about this 911 is the seller’s revelation that it was one of the last 70 cars built from this production run, making it even more of a conversation piece beyond just the low mileage. I can see a die-hard 911 fan wanting to have what is likely one of the lower mileage air-cooleds to show up in recent memory, but they may have to spend very real money for a Targa model in earth-tone colors. Would the low miles tempt you to bid on it?
I find interesting all the negative comments on the 911 spoilers over the years. The ’73 911s introduced the “duck tail” and chin spoiler on their race cars and eventually on their street cars. The 3 year Carrera series, ’74 through ’76, had wide rear flares and the spoiler package as street cars. The race cars went to the “whale tail” and much larger front spoilers with ducting for brakes etc.. Agree the Targa doesn’t need the big rear spoiler as it isn’t race prepared but that front spoiler is the greatest thing Porsche ever did for the street cars as it does wonders for stability at high interstate speeds. After a slight lowering and front spoiler installation our ’76 was a completely different car at speed.
There was a time when I personally didn’t like the oddball color combinations but like so many others I have grown with the trends towards unusual colors being the more desirable option. I think the beige metallic/ chocolate was pretty common in the 70’s and into the early 80’s. One thing that surprises me is the Targa was always the less desirable model to the coupe. I do think it’s crazy how much people are willing to pay for a low mileage SC Targa. To me it’s a no brainer to purchase a early 80’s 911 with 150K on the clock but with good service documentation in the 30’s over a car that costs 50K or more.
It’s too bad I passed on the 78 911 SC coupe that was a butterscotch exterior with cork and green plaid interior back in the 90’s. I ended up with a 76S in oak green metallic with cork interior and sports seats as my first 911.
Starting@ 85K seems a bit high and seems I am not the only one. Nobody started bidding at that number! Nice car, wish the owner well.
That doesn’t mean a thing, often serious bidders don’t jump in until the end. Look at any auction for a desirable car with a low starting price with or without reserve, in the beginning they often have dozens of bids spread among several bidders that bow out when the car is still well below market value. Those aren’t serious bidders, but their involvement often leads to comments, by people on this site, about shill bids and fraudulent sellers.
On a car like this, a high starting price is a smart strategy. They are never going to sell it at a huge, they don’t have to. They are discount, they don’t have to. By doing so, they have weeded out the near do wells that would just be wasting their time.
Steve R
Porsche, yeah, nice autos.
Let’s dig deeper, use our imagination, and find some less pedestrian vehicles of real interest.
If you’re intent on chasing the P-bubble visit BAT otherwise there’s lots more bang-for-the-buck in some barn or backyard…
I guess he does want 125k for it. People in hell want ice water!
The engine compartment in my 71 Targa with over 100k miles looks better than that crusty thing. Also check out the corrosion around the door seals. PASS.
I wanted an 80s 911 since the early 90s. Shoulda pulled the trigger then. Now I am priced out of the game. Guess I will keep enjoying my almost 50 year old Corvette. I have driven three 911s, an 85, 90 and an 08. What a car.
i too always wished for a 911, but they are now out of my range as well….oh well, it doesn’t cost anything to look
Expensive for a Volkswagen with a larger engine. This era of 911 are the single-most overrated, over-priced cars in HUMAN HISTORY.
Still?
Comparing a Porsche engine to a Volkswagen engine is the single-most overrated, overused cliché in HUMAN GEARHEAD HISTORY.
SebastianX1/9 – I’m going to take a guess here and qualify your dismissive comments about Porsches because you still believe Fiats only Mid-Engine Sports Car was somehow a Revelation?
That Whale Tail adder was almost mandatory in the 80’s I can’t remember seeing many without one cruising the streets of L.A. Same with Beige Metallic. Seemed most were either Guards Red or this
To the detractors, let’s remember that Porsche is the winningest marque in LeMans history.
The seller claims his car is among the last of the air-cooled-not event close. That was the 993 series circa 1998.
The rear wing is not from a turbo model. Those had a different shape. This particular wing appears to be a cheap reproduction. Originals are popular and functional.
Sometimes it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
That color definitely would have been popular in the 80’s. Seems like everything was beige or brown even light switches etc in your house
Clarification, the starting bid price is 85 K and so far, no one has ponied up. IMO, he is asking top dollar. But I have been wrong on prices more than once.
Soooo, here is once again a great car for sell by someone whose Father once owned but, has passed and now the clearly Non-Porsche Enthusiast wants to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time. With an average value of $35k, a Market Value High of $60k and a recent sale price on a similar 911 Targa going for $55k, makes the reserve amount of $85 with a Buy It Now of $125k just ridiculous. My sympathy to the Seller in the loss of their Dear Father. I suggest to the Seller, to keep the 911, for at least three years in hopes you’ll will discover the true magic of this iconic vehicle.
Must have been one heck of a masonry job!
As a owner/enthusiast who keeps up with market conditions I can say there is NO chance this thing brings anywhere near this amount of money. This is a $70-$75k car at the most in current market. It’s biggest attractor is the 1-owner and 30k miles obviously but adding non original spoilers only hurts its value and gold/brown cars are among least desirable color combos.
The color is interesting now as not one that is seen often and being a targa, that is a plus. The tail, could take or leave but I want what the seller is smoking as he is wildly optimistic at $85 large for a starting point, lol……..