Time to buy a Porsche Slantnose?

1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Slantnose

Tony’s Take: Rarity. It’s a thing. When it comes to value/price, it’s BIG thing. In 1989, Porsche made just fifty 911 Slant Nose Carreras. That alone makes a Slantnose Porker a precious work of automotive art – regardless of naysayers who aren’t in love with the design. This 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Flat-Nose is rare squared.

For one thing, low mileage. As you will see with the comparables, cars of this pedigree are almost always salted away. This one has just 7700 miles on the clock.

Think about that. This three-owner 33-year-old turbocharged triple black two-door has been driven, on average, 233 miles per year.

All good – but not entirely helpful. What’s needed: the car’s full service history (if available). Still, that’s hardly a dealbreaker . . .

People who buy collector cars know the purchase price is merely the price of entry. Repair and replacement costs are a given (as well as storage, ongoing maintenance and insurance).

Various clues speak to what lies ahead, such as pictures of the bodywork, engine and interior; and whether or not the car comes with all the original bits and pieces.

Check out the pics. This drop-top Turbo Cab is clean as a whistle and it’s “Accompanied by a copy of the original window sticker, owner’s manual, service and warranty booklet, tool roll, and air compressor.” Excellent signs of “pampering.”

So what’s it worth? Let’s go to the tape.

A Slantnose Cab of this quality hasn’t been on the market in over a year. Based on recent history and the ongoing strength of the collector Porsche market, I expect this 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Flat-Nose to hammer in the $450k range.

Question: Is this the right time to buy? The used car market has cratered on the low-end. You can see this with Carmax’s recent earnings report and an NBC news story on the dramatic rise in repossessions.

The low-end of the collector car market is taking the hit. So far, the top end hasn’t been affected. Again, rarity is critical. What’s awesome today will be awesome tomorrow, and the rich keep getting richer.

So no matter what the economy does in the near term, the value of this ultra-rare 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Flat-Nose will continue to ascend – especially when you consider that we’re nearing the end of gas-powered automobiles. So yes, buy now.

Downside: turbocharged Porsches of this vintage are a real handful to drive, should the new owner do what the previous owners didn’t.