The most collectible/least depreciating Porsche?

[real550A]

I agree with the '89 Speedster. It's at the lower end of your "budget", and there are excellent low mile examples to be had at this time.
Find a non widebody, and you've got it!

[Emission]

I don't think Porsches are a good "investment" as far as speculating. Realizing that we can't really come up with a good list makes that quite obvious.

Would a Ferrari, Lotus, or Lamborghini be a better "investment" than a Porsche? Would that just be based on smaller production runs?

[glenndeweirdt]

This is slightly off topic, but who would have thought late 60's Detroit iron would hit $5,000,000+ ten years ago. I would have mortgaged my house (again) in the early 90's to buy that rare convertible Hemi 'Cuda for $100,000 which seemed a riduculously stratospheric price at the time.

[JSDSKI]

I'd bet the Cayman - especially any RS or Club Sport model (when it comes) will be the 911 of the early 21st century

People will argue if it is correct to have the front intake "eyebrows" with fogs or without - how to make a "lightweight" (hey, what about a CG hatch!) -and the correct thread count on seats and carpets....

[Emission]

Originally posted by glenndeweirdt
This is slightly off topic, but who would have thought late 60's Detroit iron would hit $5,000,000+ ten years ago.

Funny you mention that. It was the amazing (over)pricing of the Detroit iron that struck up the original conversation about Porsches and retained value. Someone asked how much my car was new (about $55,000) and the value now (about $28,000). They mentioned a classic '66 Ford Mustang convertible was only $3,000 new (or something like that) and is now worth ten times that!

Half of us were arguing that a Porsche is a better long-term "investment" for the enthusiast - the other half kept saying buy American muscle-cars as they are only going up and up.

Personally, I think the muscle-car thing is a fad. When all the dust settles in a decade, I think the Porsche will prove to be a better purchase.

[Superman]

Cars are generally just not good investment properties.

But with all due respect to the comments above, I like the '97 993 TT idea. 450 hp. Last of the air-cooleds. I think that in twenty years this will be the '73 RS in terms of collector value.

[glenndeweirdt]

Remember the Ferrari craze after Enzo croaked ? Some of the run'o the mill 240 Dinos were selling for $100K. You probably could not get $75K for them now 15 years later.

[javadog]

Actually, you CAN get north of 75K for a nice 246 Dino. A 206 Dino would be a LOT higher. Granted, after the bubble burst, the values of all Ferraris tanked but they have been going up again for the last few years. Some of them are up as much as 50% in the last two or three years.

The '73 RS is another car that has gone up a lot in the last 5 years. It'll be interesting to see if values continue to climb or ....?

The 2006 Barrett -Jackson Scottsdale auction starts in an hour. Any bets on what prices do this year?

JR

[glenndeweirdt]

This all makes sense in light of a bear market. Peoples money is flocking to real estate, gold, cars, and other "tangible" assets.
I am no John Kenneth Galbraith, but I know these things have cycles. I just wish I knew when to jump on and off.

[JP911]

Clearly the mid-year cars (74-77) with their self-adjusting head studs, morphing magnesium cases, uber-efficient high temp exhausts, etc. will be the cats meow in 30 years.

[real550A]

One good 356 is the 1957 356 Carrera GT. It has a 4 cam motor in it.

Erik-
A very desireable 356 indeed! I'm not sure one can be had within the stated budget at the beginning of this thread.
Maybe I'm wrong.

[mikesz]

917
916
78-79 turbo
959

[wayner]

Two different discussions:
1) Will not depreciate
2) Will depreciate but once at bottom may take a bounce.

[winders]

This was a 7 year old dead thread.....keep it that way!

[Norm Faustino]

Winders, that was the funniest post of the thread. I say if you buy what YOU like, it will always remain priceless!

[trader220]

Originally Posted by Emission

Well, I'd argue nearly every pre-90 Porsche "911" has just about bottomed-out in price (if kept maintained).

Bingo.... 20 years down the road I would go one further and say that any of the air cooled cars will be worth more. That does NOT make them a good investment when you consider up keep and the opportunity cost of the money you have tied up in them I would guess they would have a hard time keeping up with inflation.

The 89 and 94 Speedsters are a good choice. The RS America would be a good choice. The 964 Roadster and 964 1994 wide body. The final year edition of the 89 Carrera, the ones that came in silver or metallic black. Just to name a few. All of those cars fall into your price range and all are limited production but no so different from standard models that parts would be difficult.

[DaddyGlenn]

I almost posted a comment that I would vote for a 916 even though they are out of the OP's price range.

But then I noticed how friggin' old this thread is and decided against it.

By the way, welcome to Pelican, mikesz. Way to make an entrance.

[reachme]

Figuring the value of a car to a future buyer is tough, but looking at trends is key. I see the profusion of microchips to take control away from the driver as something that has already transformed cars of the present. Cars that drive themselves are starting to come out of development as individual systems are perfected. What was important to me is the latest high performance sportscar but free of microchip nanny systems (with parts still available of course).
I see 959 as the beginning of the end for fully mechanical key systems in P cars but I know this is debatable. Superior performance in safety, steering, performance, laws etc. came in but I see little skill or fun in todays tiptronic, launch control and synthesized engine growl piped in through speakers. Play X-box and save the dino juice.
Car "Pilots" of the present and future provide input to systems that interpret their desires, I expect future buyers, like I was, to seek complete control of their high performance sports car and that complete control started to phased out 80s-90's.
off soapbox

[kfitzpat9]

My vote is for the 1994 3.6 turbo, followed by the 996 GT3. The 356's and 911's from 60-70's have already shot up, so I think there is risk there. I think the 1980-89 SC's and Carerra's will also follow that pattern and go up in value 10 years from now, so now is probably the time to buy. The 93 RS america is also one to watch as its rare and that's what Porsche collectors like.

[techweenie]

Well, 7 years ago when this thread started, Erik McKenna, in the second post, was spot on and would have doubled or tripled the money invested in his little list.