The 1976 production year brought the 930 Turbo to North America for the first time. Using developments Porsche had been perfecting for its racing cars, the 930 was the quickest, quietest, and fanciest high-performance street car Porsche had ever offered. It was also the first standard production Porsche to offer a turbo-charged system. Called "a dream car" by the press, it offered spectacular performance for a street car in the early 80s-0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds while pumping out 300 hp. The suspension and running gear were modified to handle this additional turbo power, while wider tires helped keep the car on the road. Finally, interior appointments on the 930 Turbo were luxurious compared to other model's standard equipment, which helped make this wild ride all the more comfortable.
The 930 Turbo pictured here is complete with all original equipment. According to the owner, this car is in excellent running and driving condition.
SCM Analysis
Detailing
| Vehicle: | 1983 Porsche 930 Turbo |
| Years Produced: | 1976-1989 |
| Number Produced: | 18,948 |
| Original List Price: | $49,500 (1983) |
| SCM Valuation: | $18,000-$25,000 |
| Tune Up Cost: | $600 |
| Distributor Caps: | $24 |
| Chassis Number Location: | Stamped in horizontal bulkhead aft of gas tank in front trunk |
| Engine Number Location: | Stamped vertically on engine case on passenger side of engine cooling fan |
| Club Info: | Porsche Club of America 5530 Edgemont Drive, Alexandria, VA 22310 |
| Alternatives: | Mercedes Benz 560 SL; Corvette C4 ZR-I; BMW 850i Coupe |
This Turbo sold for $37,400 at the RM Amelia Island Concours on March 20, 1999. This price is representative either of a strong renewed interest in gray-market Turbos or of two people who both wanted this car, regardless of the final price. The first two years of the 930, (’76-’77) were 3.0 liter cars with 245 snappy horses in USA trim. In 1978 major improvements included increased size to 3.3 liters, an intercooler to keep the intake air colder, and bigger brakes. Horsepower from 1978 to 1989 was 282 hp for the USA model. Other than the bigger whale tail in 1978 to house the intercooler, the body remained unchanged through 1989. All cars were 4-speeds until 1989, when a 5-speed was finally made available. Turbos were not officially imported into the USA from 1980 to 1985, and the value of gray-market cars usually suffers by about 25 percent or more against their USA counterparts. We don’t know if this is one of the 35 factory slantnoses made in 1983, or a car converted by an after-market supplier. This, of course, has a big effect on value.
There are many unknows with this car, all of which have a direct impact on value. Neither mileage, rebuild history nor maintenace records are mentioned in the catalog description. Turbos with deferred maintenance can be financial black holes, even if purchased right.
The price achieved by this car appears high. However, in my opinion, someday the collecting world will realize that Turbos are powerful icons of the Seventies and Eighties and original cars in good condition will begin to appreciate at the head of the market.
On a recent cold and rainy weekend, two Turbos hit the Chicago Tribune classifieds: a ’76 3.0 with 45K miles and a ’79 3.3 with 81K miles. Both were clean USA cars with good maintenance records; both were priced at $23,000; both sold by Sunday afternoon.-Jim Schrager