There was a time when a targa roof-equipped Porsche 911 was not exactly the pinnacle of desirability. One might even say it ranked fairly close to the convertible model in the overall hierarchy, nudging out the true droptop by a hair due to the perception of possessing slightly more structural rigidity. It’s safe to say that is no longer the case, as examples like this 1983 Porsche 911 Targa listed here on eBay are commanding strong money at the moment, with bids sitting at $35,700 with the reserve unmet and three days left in the auction.

The targa model always made good sense to me as a best-of-both-worlds option, with the ability to let the outside in without having to give up having a true rear window. The looks also worked to, as that rear glass helps maintain the perception of having something fixed over the back half of the car; when the convertible top is down, there really is nothing left over the hindquarters, and it’s a subjective take as to whether or not that improves the looks of an air-cooled Porsche. The 911 Targa is also traditionally one of the lower production models out there, and is seemingly always in short supply compared to the hardtop and convertible cars, especially within the 964 model family.

The 911 SC is already a sought after example, with many pundits claiming it to be one of the more “overbuilt” 911s with  a hearty engine capable of racking up big miles before needing an engine rebuild. The seller of this example tells us very little about the car in question, even going so far as to indicate it’s equipped with a “V6” engine, which we know is not correct. Mileage clocks in at just under 50,000 which makes this long-lived SC a compelling purchase for someone who hopes to own it for more than a few years and rack up some decent annual mileage in the process.

The presence of the headlight washers on the bumper make me wonder if this is a European-market example; if it is, that means the 3.0L flat-six makes a touch more horsepower than the U.S. model. It should make a touch over 200 horsepower, which is more than enough to help the rather lightweight SC get out of its own way; it’s also a healthy bump over the U.S.-spec engine that has just over 170 horsepower in stock form. The seller would be wise to offer some more details on this car’s maintenance history and confirm it is a true Euro-market example, but neither data point appears to be slowing down interest at the moment.