This is part three of a ten part series about 10 Porsches that are currently within a reasonable budget, but that may become very valuable in the future. In part one we covered the Porsche 911 SC and then in part two we covered the Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2. This post will cover the Porsche 911 (993).

Below is the list of Porsche that will be covered in other posts. Please note that the order of the Porsches in the below list is the order that they will be covered, but not necessarily the order of what is more likely to become valuable.

1. SC
2. Carrera 3.2
3. 993
4. 964
5. 912
6. 914
7. 928
8. 968
9. 944
10. 924

Now we get to the 911 that generation that is perhaps the most desirable. The 993 variant of the German rear-engined sports car is that last of the “pure” Porsches. The 996 variant that followed it is cooled by water, instead of air as all but the front engine cars had been until this point.

Many people think it is better to have the last of something instead of the first of something. The earliest 911s are very sought after and can command a premium, but the last of the air-cooled cars offer a more usable and better performing package. Plus with a 993 you have the option of all-wheel drive if you want one that you can drive in slick conditions.

Performance in these cars is very good, even by modern standards. As with other 911 variants there are different performance models to consider, but expect a 0 to 60 mph time in the five second range for most cars in the range. So it is plenty fast to keep up with all but the fastest cars on the road today.

All of this has led to values of these cars going up in value. There have even been examples that have been sold for over $100,000, although those are still outliers. Where most sports cars from the mid-90′s (outside of exotics) would go for well under $20,000 for a good example, expect to pay around $40,000 for a good example. These cars do range in price and I’ve seen them sell recently anywhere from $25,000 all the way up to $60,000 (not including some of the crazy auction examples).

As with any Porsche it is very important that you buy a well maintained and documented car. If maintained correctly, these cars are almost indestructible.

With prices already on the rise, this is one variant that you may need to buy now before they start to really go up in value. If you buy a Porsche 911 (993), you will get the what is possibly the best air-cooled sports car that has been made. If you buy one you will have plenty of car to enjoy no matter what happens to the car’s value. So, if you want a 993 you probably better get it now, before it costs you a lot more.

I’ve already written a bit about the 993 Turbo.
I think it’s time to shine a spotlight on the whole generation.

The last hurrah before the completely redesigned 996 took over in 1999, the ’93-’98 iteration of the classic Porsche 911, better known by its internal model code 993, was the final evolution of a basic platform that had served the Stuttgart automaker since the mid-’60s.




Equipped with a 3.6l version of Porsche’s legendary flat six M46 engine delivering 285 hp, the 993′s relatively low weight of around 3,100 lbs allowed it to scoot to 60 mph in the low 5 second range. The rear suspension was completely redesigned, incorporating a multilink system to give the car much more predictable handling behavior (especially when it came to lift-off oversteer) compared to its 911 predecessors. And the styling was smoothed and rounded, while still retaining the traditional 911 proportions and styling details.




Design-wise, it’s the little things about the 993 that captivate me. The classic 911 profile is present, that shape that shouldn’t look right, yet you can’t turn away from. The visual peak of the car is the top of the windshield, as opposed to the top of the roof in the 996 on, an element that defines the vintage 911. The front windows incorporate an extra pane, an anachronistic detail shared by no other car in the mid-’90s. And there’s something about the way the windshield wiper pivots are located in such proximity that just gets me. I can’t explain it. It’s perfect.




Of course Porsche can slap the “911″ nameplate on whatever they want, but as far as I’m concerned, the 993′s successor, the 996, really deserved a separate model number—it was that different from its predecessor. Gone were the classic sewing machine thrum of the air-cooled engine, the distinctive profile and even the jewel-like styling details. In their place, the 996 substituted a more conventional water-cooled mill, a bloated jellybean shape that vaguely resembled the traditional 911 look but was completely devoid of sex appeal, and acres of corporate plastic from the instrument cluster to the engine bay. Slightly faster the 996 may have been, but in the minds of most enthusiasts, including this one, the loss of character over the 993 was a heavy price to pay for the extra capability. No, given the choice, I’ll gladly “put up with” the 993′s vintage quirkiness, even if that means, in the end, I’m driving the slower car.