dave morris

I'm curious how common/uncommon the sunroof-delete option was on the '83 US market SC. Did "standard equipment" normally include the sunroof option, requiring the purchaser to specifically order the delete option? I've seen lots of sunroof delete Euro SCs ... but don't recall seeing many US SCs w/o a sunroof. Any knowledge/background you can provide is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Edgy01

No, the sunroof was extra but the vast number of SCs were produced with them. My 1977 (which I ordered) was without a sunroof--it was too expensive for me at the time. Perhaps it's living a life anew as a race car somewhere!

dave morris

That's consistent with my informal survey. Thanks Dan. I'm guessing Porsche produced almost exclusively sunroof models for the US market ... maybe because they made a little more money on each car that way. But if that's the case, I wonder why we (in the US) seem to have a much higher percentage of sunroof delete Euro SCs? Hmmmm. A mystery. Was there a strong objection to sunroofs by European buyers? Somebody out there should be able to shed some light on this for me. I'm also curious what rough percentage of US market SCs had the sunroof ... and what percentage did not. 90/10? Anybody have any idea?

theiceman

mine wasn't .. i must have a rare one ..

dave morris

OK, I see you have a Targa. Not applicable.

dave morris

Nobody out there can help?

abe

abe

Ed Hughes

Not sure what other help you need? Dan pretty much answered your question. Not many Coupes came to the US without a sunroof. 90/10 is high I'd guess...less than that. Call PCNA, that's the only entity that would have hard data, but they probably won't take the time to research.

dave morris

Thanks Ed. Yes, I knew that very few US market SCs coupes came with the sunroof delete option. Almost ALL of them seem to have sunroofs. I agree with you ... probably more than 90%. Maybe 99%?

What I was hoping to get was 1) an informed/better fix on the actual percentage (and I agree PCNA probably wouldn't be terribly motivated to research this subject for me) ... and 2) the background music. Sunroof delete was apparently quite common on the Euro (ROW)SC ... and the exact opposite was the case with the US market SC where the sunroof delete option was apparently so uncommon. But WHY. I'm sure there is a good explanation ... I just don't know what it is.

Ed Hughes

Well, considering estimates of 1/2 of US Porsches going to the SoCal market, the "why" portion is probably weather related. A sexy European sportscar with a sunroof probably appeals to the masses. The more drive-oriented enthusiasts are the ones that opted out of a sunroof, radio delete, etc.

If it wasn't for the US Market, Porsche probably never would've caved in to cup holders.

dave morris

Thanks Ed. You may be right. My guess is that Porsche made more money on the sunroof model and simply stocked the dealerships with sunroof coupes. Easier to buy one off the showroom floor w/ a sunroof than wait for manufacture/delivery of a sunroof delete coupe. Just speculation though.

BlackPearl

+1. I'd have to agree. Americans have made the bulk of Porsche sales world-wide - something like 48% of all vehicles sold per build/model - until very recently (beginning with the Cayenne - yeesh!). Porsche wanted to consider things like power windows, sunroofs, etc., for the "more discerning" Americans (read: "cushy-wussy") vs. the "Euro-Motorhead-race-enthusiast" European market. So, the bulk of the import base seemed to be with the "cush" built-in.

That's my personal take and not necessarily based on anything factual ... just oberservation over the years.

So the bulk of the 911SC, 84-89 Carrera, 964's, 993's and on are with sunroof in America's Porsche market. (I find it ironic that a deletion of a feature is a paid-for option. Kind like: "Okay; you've opted not to have gold-inlaid carpeting. That will cost you extra.")

Just my thoughts... others may disagree.

whiterabbit

I am originally from the UK and the cars cost a lot more there than the US already and the sunroof was an expensive optional extra on top which I am sure a Lot of people just didn't want orc ould afford. The people that did want a sunroof probably bought a Targa instead anyway. Gernerally in Europe people want less comfort extras than in the US.

Edgy01

Another added note,--along with Whiterabbit's observations on European economics,--keep in mind that the weather in Europe discourages any thoughts of owning a sunroof. If they are thinking in that direction, they went straight to a Targa.

dave morris

Interesting. Personally I wonder why ANYONE would even want a sunroof. Much less pay EXTRA for it. While the weather argument might be plausible, I doubt it's even half the story. Whiterabbit's economic explanation sounds more logical to me. But what do I know.