First-Year Cabriolet Question

1982911SCTarga · 12-03-2007, 08:03 AM

There's a reprinted Panorama article in volume VI of "Up-Fixin der Porsche" about the "new" 911 SC cabriolet for 1983. The article mentions that it would be difficult to get one of the 2,000 or so '83 model-year cabs destined for America because they were being pre-ordered.

Was this actually the case with first-year cabriolets?

Brian

johndglynn · johndglynn's Garage

I remember reading in a car mag from around that time that the allocation was sold out over 12 months in advance.

US dealers actually bought lots of Euro SC Cabs to import to the US as they couldn't get enough of them over there. Mine went to the US when it was new and came back to Europe 14 years later. I would love to know the premium they paid to get one from a speculator.

1982911SCTarga · 12-03-2007, 02:10 PM

Hi, John. We know that U.S.-destined cabriolets sold at a significant premium to their targa and coupe cousins. I wasn't aware that there was such demand ready that dealers were selling them on a pre-order basis or speculating on bringing in ROW cars. Interesting stuff.

Brian

johndglynn · johndglynn's Garage

Hi Brian, the manufacturer would have given the importer an allocation based on production numbers, then the importer would distribute that allocation amongst its franchise network, who would have started taking deposits as soon as the car was announced. The first Porsche convertible for 18 years was never going to be a slow seller.

If there were 2,000 cars coming to you guys, they would have sold out pretty fast and certainly long before the cars ever hit production, so after that dealers would be buying as much allocation in Europe as possible.

When I say a premium for the Cab, I mean a premium over official list price for those cars that had been delivered and were being offered for resale by speculators who had placed their orders when the car was first announced.

The list price diffs between Coupe, Targa and Cab wasn't that much over here - I think Porsche said they would cap the Cab at 5% extra or less. I have the first Kacher test from Car magazine in 1982 and it mentions the list caps, I will try to scan it sometime (gotta buy a scanner first).

1982911SCTarga · 12-04-2007, 06:53 AM

I never realized that dealers were an active part of the gray market here. And you're right, the first Porsche cab in 18 years had to be a hot ticket. Mine (a U.S. version) left the dealership in September 1983, so I'm wondering how the events played out for my car's first owner regarding how that buyer got to acquire it.

Brian