will porsche 911,s ever become collectible

[crxnug]

Do you think the porsche 911 3.2 will ever become a collectible classic ?or will price continue to decline. i also have a 1973 porsche 914 2.0 which has become slightly collectible .

[geoz]

i've collected mine already

[Winter]

It may be that too many of these cars were made for this model to ever become "collectible" (in the way that early '70s 911s are). At least in your lifetime.

With time, they may.

But who cares? If you want a collectible car, sell yours and get one. Otherwise drive it like hell!

---

Tom '75 targa

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I casually follow the collector market and write about it occasionally, subscribe to Sports Car Market (the only real collector magazine) but am no expert. Having said that, to me a truly collectible car requires several things: rarity (which is primary), total originality, provenance (where it came from, who owned it, competition history if any) and some kind of technical/mechanical/stylistic uniqueness.

911 3.2s are not rare by stretch of the imagination, certainly can be matching-numbers original but what does it matter, may have been owned by somebody famous but "star power" only matters to the naive collectors who would pay extra for a car because Oprah farted into the seat, and are not truly unique in any way.

So they fail the tests of true collectibility. (Obviously, we're not talking here about a factory lightweight or an ex-Brumos racer or the like, since you asked specifically about 3.2s.)

Sure, in 20 or 30 years or more, a well-maintained 1980s 911 could be worth the equivalent of, say, today's $40,000 tops, just as nice MG TFs, Bugeye Sprites, XK-150s, TR4s, 240Zs and the like have appreciated in value although they'll never be true collectibles (at least not in our lifetimes).

So my answer would be no, a 911 3.2 will never become a collectible classic, although nice ones will someday become...well, call it "newly desirable," for people who want an unusual and enjoyable car to drive (as opposed to putting it in a museum or collection). But it'll take awhile.

[McLovin]

Absolutely it will.

The only question is, when?

I think it will take a long time. Certainly 30 years from now, a really nice, stock 3.2 will be worth "collectible" money.

They are not the equivalent of cheap throwaway cars like Bugeyes or Datsuns. They weren't in that class of car when new, and they won't be when they are collectible. They are have other unique characteristics (pretty much the last of the aircooled cars, with no modern equivalence). They are an icon that can never be replicated by a new car, ever.

In the 80s most thought the early 911s would never really be collectible, back when you could buy a nice 73S for $6,000. The reasoning was pretty much the same reasoning used today for why a 3.2 will never be collectible.

[spence88mph]

Depends on the market too, over here a clean 3.2 isn't easy to find and they demand a fair wack of cash. You could pick up a clean Australian delivered 3.2 up a few years ago for about 40K, they now demand 60-70s.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Depends what you mean by "collectible money."

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

to me a truly collectible car requires several things: rarity (which is primary), total originality, provenance (where it came from, who owned it, competition history if any) and some kind of technical/mechanical/stylistic uniqueness.

I agree, a 3.2 will never truly be a collectible although they may become more valuable as more of them disappear. This assumes that gasoline remains available to power them.

Examples of collectible 911s are the 73 RS, and 959 which were produced in very limited quantities and are both unique and very desirable. A garden-variety 3.2 Carrera will never fall into that category.

Maybe an '87-'88 Club Sport could be collectible, as only 28 were made.

[jwetering]

Originally Posted by porschenut

...Maybe an '87-'88 Club Sport could be collectible, as only 28 were made.

Good point. A friend of mine has an 1988 Clubsport that he imported from Europe. Very rare and collectible. Against my advice he made some modifications though, which affect the collectability. The mods made it a better car, no doubt, but they did devalue it. I guess the good news is that it's all reversible.

[brackenwhite]

I have a few thoughts on this. The first is that one of the UK magazines, Classic and Sports Car ran an article on the 3.2 being a collectible classic in their January 2008 issue. Secondly, I remember when the 356 was considered too common to ever attain collectible status.

These cars may become classic sooner than we think. I think of my Carrera as a great used car. People at the gas station, grocery store, etc. think it's a classic car. I find this slightly annoying; classic cars are driven by middle aged people. The Carrera was new when I graduated high school which was only a few years ago -- more or less.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

brackenwhite, I'm sorry you find it annoying. In a few minutes, relatively speaking, you too will be middle-aged. It happens.

[iamchappy]

Collectable ...no... unless it is a very special limited edition car.... desirable yes....
There are just to many 911's out there, compare 911's to other Porsche's listed on Ebay.
Daily there are over 700 listings for the 911
as compared to.... 11 930's
" " 25 356's
" " 13 912's
" " 29 914's
" " 25 928's
" " 36 944's

[brackenwhite]

Guys, Sorry for the too-dry humor. I'm not that annoyed -- just slightly bewildered by the fact that a car that was new when I was a teenager is now 25 years old. . .

[flat6pilot]

It's ok, I spotted your sarcasm. All I had to do was look at your signature and do the maf.

[Garp]

Originally Posted by brackenwhite

Guys, Sorry for the too-dry humor. I'm not that annoyed -- just slightly bewildered by the fact that a car that was new when I was a teenager is now 25 years old. . .

Perhaps we can start a self help group on the subject?

[fintstone]

Considering what it costs to buy a good one (25 year old car)...they are collectable already IMHO.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There will always be a "collector" market for anything - it just depends on how easy it is to find the market and how big of a market it is.

I hate to say it, but 50 years from now, piece-of-crap riced-out Honda Civics will probably be "collectible" to the throngs of kids who associate such cars with their youth, freedom and "fun times".

I have very fond memories of an Isuzu Impulse I used to own. A "collector" car in the context most people think? Hell no. Would I pay a bit over market value for it because I happen to like it and have fond memories of it, making it "collectible" to me? Probably.

But there probably aren't too many people like me out there who'd be willing to go out of their way for an old Isuzu either.

[rnln]

I don't know others but my 3.2 was in the movie. It will be collectible. Which means I will keep it for now, drive it, enjoy it, and maybe sell it one day if I can afford a newer one

[gregwils]

Originally Posted by iamchappy

Collectable ...no... unless it is a very special limited edition car.... desirable yes....
There are just to many 911's out there, compare 911's to other Porsche's listed on Ebay.
Daily there are over 700 listings for the 911
as compared to.... 11 930's
" " 25 356's
" " 13 912's
" " 29 914's
" " 25 928's
" " 36 944's

There are only 100 of the 700 that are pre-89 on eBay, but I agree that the cars won't become collectible. If someone is looking for an investment, look elsewhere. Trends over the last five to ten years would indicated that values have bottomed, and you can expect increases to move about the rate of inflation. The only exceptions would be limited edition cars, possibly long-nose, etc as others have noted.

The 928 never had the same broad appeal and their resale values suffered from the day they rolled off the lot. Great GT cars, just making an observation. The 944, while also a great car, suffers from being Porsche's "entry level" model and not having the same degree of distinctiveness as a 911.

356's have jumped in price over the last five years, not including '09, but you can still buy a driver quality coupe for less than $25k. I would argue that most of those are not collectible either.

In exchange for not being collectible is an active owner forum, an excellent aftermarket with on-going innovation, reasonable parts prices, etc. Early 911's (pre-89) offer a great balance of daily uniqueness, fabulous driving experience, and entrance and maintenance costs within the reach of most. I am happy/thankful to own the car that I do.

[DanielDudley]

Of course they will become collectible. They already are. They have a cult following, and they are maintaining value even during a rather severe recession.

G50 cars, Speedsters, Club Sports, and low mileage cars are already at a premium. Early 911s are particularly sought after. RSs ?

Don't buy a 911 because you think it is an investment, or a collectible. Buy a 911 because you would choose to own one. BTW, they are considered by many to be of far more value than a 914 2.0. Trading value should confirm that, and it does. Don't get me wrong, the 9914 is a great car, but the 911 is the car that many feel to be the Iconic Porsche. That in itself makes it great garage art to many who would be just as happy driving an Accord.