・US import with stacks of bills

・Full interior retrim in dark red leather

・Complete mechanical overhaul

・Original unrestored body

When the Porsche ‘964’ generation of 911 appeared in 1989, it was the most significant advance in the air-cooled Porsche’s history since the first 911 appeared in 1963.

For although it retained the same basic body shell and flat-six engine design of the original, Porsche claimed that that car was 80% new, with a brand new cabin layout, different panels and bumpers, new transmissions, larger wheels and tyres and (at launch) a new four-wheel-drive layout in the form of the Carrera 4. 

But the biggest change was in the suspension. Gone were the torsion bars that had underslung every air-cooled Porsche since 1963, replaced by MacPherson struts upfront with coil springs and shock absorbers – a move that also required a redesign of the inner wing structure and front bulkhead. 

Another feature of the new model was its electric rear spoiler, which raised at speeds above 50 mph and lowered down flush with the rear engine lid at lower speeds, doing away with the need for the wild ‘tea tray’ rear spoilers seen on 1980s 911s. 

This example is a left-hand-drive 1991 964 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, which arrived in the UK a couple of years ago but is still with the same owner who bought it in New Jersey in 2012.

The early history of this car is a bit sketchy, but it appears to have been well looked after as a genuine, low mileage example. 

It was acquired by the vendor in 2012. He’s a UK national who was working in New York and living in New Jersey at the time. He bought the car in an American online auction as, being a total petrolhead, he wanted something old and fun to own while he was working in the States. When he returned to the UK a couple of years ago, he couldn’t leave the 911 behind so arranged for it to be shipped over.

The car was first registered in the UK in October 2019, and it has been used sparingly since. It has, however, had a thorough mechanical overhaul in that time. The seller is reluctant to see it go, but he hasn’t used it as much as he thought he would and is about to embark on a ground-up Land Rover restoration project, so has decided to find a new home for the Porsche.

The 911 is currently registered to the owner and he is its only known UK keeper. He bought it nine years ago and in that time has spent a small fortune on it, including treating it to a full mechanical overhaul and a brand new leather interior. 

There are bills to backup all the work. The most recent one is for a over £5,000 earlier this year, during which the roof mechanism was rebuilt, new shocks and bushes were fitted, the transfer box overhaul and new braided brake lines were fitted throughout. 

That’s just scratching the surface, though, as the owner has spent an absolute fortune on this car. During his seven years of ownership in New Jersey, there are bills from a local Porsche agent showing huge expenditure – we totted it up and it runs to over US $50,000, including an interior retrim and regular mechanical repairs and maintenance. It’s a car that has had no shortage of attention lavished on it.

Most of the black paint is that applied by the factory, which is proof that the 911 has been well looked after and cherished throughout its life – a fact backed up by an average mileage of less than 3,000 a year. 

Overall, it looks absolutely marvellous, with a deep, glossy shine and no obvious faults or issues. 

Up close, there are some minor imperfections. There are two cracks in the plastic of the electric rear spoiler (it works fine, though), some misaligned trim on the right-hand-rear arch, a couple of very tiny dents on one wing and one door -the kind of marks you’d get from a shopping trolley – and a couple of touched-in stone chips on the front bumper. 

None of these jumps out – the car really is as smart as it appears in the photos. It’s a great looking thing, and in lovely original order. 

The electrically operated hood is also in fine condition having been refurbished recently, while it comes with a smart and snug-fitting tonneau cover.

When the vendor acquired the 911, it had a very worn and tired-looking beige leather interior that had not aged well, so he bit the bullet and paid a five-figure sum to have the car completely retrimmed to his own tastes.

The seats and side panels were stripped and retrimmed with oxblood red leather by a specialist in the USA and the craftsmanship is exquisite – the job is superb, and finished to a very high standard. 

The dashboard, carpets, switches and gauges are also in good order and everything appears to work as it should. 

The unmistakable sound of a flat-six 911 is something to relish – it sounds absolutely wonderful, with a warbly idle and a snarling eagerness when you blip the throttle.

It was a lively engine when new, with 247bhp – enough to propel it from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 163mph. Decent figures even by today’s standards. 

It starts on the button, holds good oil pressure and runs beautifully, having had a fortune spent on it over the years. It goes in all gears easily and the recent suspension work should ensure that it goes exactly where you point it, too.

If we were to make a list of things there are to like about this car, chances are you’d never get to the end of it. It’s an absolutely gorgeous thing, the well-preserved and extremely smart original exterior complemented by the tastefully retrimmed cabin.

On top of that there’s the fact it’s the best spec, with the best handling and acceleration, which has seen thousands spent on keeping it in tip-top condition over the past decade. It’s a cherished and well-loved car, about as good as you’re going to get.