ROW was frown upon a few years(which honestly was silly imo)..fast forward today and all things being equal they are bringing in the same price as USA versions. If condition(by that I mean whatever you feel passes your test) is acceptable(mechanical and visual) in #2 condition(meaning stone chips,a few minor scratches and minor mechanical repairs)

Since more details are needed..I will take a stab at this and say $45-60K..just a guess...

 

The whole RoW thing was because Porsche experts would say: they were rode hard and put up wet, true mileage is unknown, the EPA/DOT conversion guys often did a crappy job. Because of that they were worth 50% of what a US spec car sells for. I always felt that was BS because you get a good PPI on any car and if it passes, you're good to go!

 

I assume ROW is "euro" as the 930 300hp wasnt available in the USA for 1982 unless it was a ROW or "euro" imported after the fact?

 

RoW vs.U.S. is not an apples to apples comparison for 930’s like it is for 911 SC’s or Carrera’s (it depends). 930’s made from 1975 to 1989 were made with RoW specifications but the years 1980 to 1985 were only made for RoW. I see the constant drum beat that RoW are worth the same or more as U.S. but what year(s) are being compared? You can’t compare a 1982 U.S. to RoW 930 since they were not made in U.S. specification but you can compare U.S. and RoW model years 1976 to 1979 and 1986 to 1989. Is a 1986 RoW worth more than a U.S.? By 1986 the 930 was a “world car” and all were equipped with catalytic converters so I don’t see the advantage of a RoW vs. U.S. from an exhaust standpoint (even though most U.S. thermal reactors on ’76-79 cars are long gone). For those who really don’t desire a sunroof, RoW 930’s made before 1987 (when they became standard) have a much higher probability of not having a sunroof since the Europeans tended to skip on expensive options but this also means that they usually did not opt for sports seats.

 

thanks for the clarification as i was speaking of 1980-1985 models or more specifically a 1982 which is ROW only.

 

Exactly, now euro cars bring more than us cars in Europe. This is bc the vat tax was collected back in the day, a us car has to pay the vat based on original sticker price upon import. Hence, euro cars have a significant tax advantage in Europe.

 

Very good points. Back in the day, many walked away or presented low ball offers for ROW cars in the US. In today's market that is not the case, condition (for the most part) seems to be the main driver...regardless of what year. WPOZZZ and TT Surgeon has some good insight as well.

 

If you go back 5-10 years, there was a lot of sentiment that all 930’s were the same except for RoW vs. U.S., the 1989 model with a 5-speed gearbox and slant nose 930’s. The late Bruce Anderson stated many times in the Excellence Price guides that 930’s were not rare or collectable cars since they made 20K+ of them. This perception slowly changed and today, there’s more appreciation and distinction between the different years of 930s. Is the most important thing to the OP working air conditioning and drivability with a 5-speed gearbox? Then the 1989 may be your best choice or an ’86-88 if the 5-speed is not a must. Is light weight and raw driving experience your criteria? Then perhaps a 3-liter 930 or earlier (lighter) 3.3 liter 930 would be top on your list but realize the A/C sucks (smaller vents) and there are no power seats or factory alarm.

The 3-liter cars were the first to gain appreciation and these were the cars most bashed 5-10 years ago since they had less power and treaded 2.7 Carrera RS brakes (when have you ever seen anyone diss the brakes on a 2.7 Carrera RS?). As far as grey market cars, yes they have been panned for years including the ‘75’s which fell so low in price many were brutally molested with slant nose conversions, 3.3 liter engine upgrades, or just left for dead in a pile of rust due to lack of galvanizing. The previous owner of my 1975 930 paid $13K for the car in the early 1990s and even ‘75’s had a “grey market” stigma and they appraised for less than their U.S. ’76 and ’77 3-liter cars. Do European’s always prefer RoW 930s? Once again, it depends…for example, in the last 5-10 years many U.S. 3-liter cars have gone back to Europe since so many of their 3-liter RoW cars were driven hard in extreme climate so their survival rate in top condition is much less than the U.S. cars.

 

I would agree that a good car is a good car however I spent a lot of time in the 80's shopping Germany and Switzerland during the grey market for cars and the reason why these cars were dissed was because a high % of what was sold and brought back was crap.

By 1985 most of what you could find were cars that had been cobbled back together with bad resprays and improper components being sold as original. A lot of damage covered up and sold as original. More times than not the car had a speedo with far less miles than were obviously on the car. By then the good cars had been priced to meet the growing demand from US buyers.

I recall passing on a pretty guards red 77 turbo and seeing it a few years later at the Orangeburg, NY PCA concours. Had to be one of the worst Porsche driving experiences of my life. I didn't have the heart to tell the owner the car was in a horrible accident and had been cosmetically put back together but was obvious when the judges pointed out the issues with the car.

It has gotten to the point that all these cars are old and originality is suspect US or ROW so be careful when shopping and don't let emotions get in the way of common sense.

BTW I had 3.0 liter turbo brakes on my RS clone and even at only 2390 pounds the 270 hp was too much for them and I toasted my brakes just about every DE back in the 80's I had to upgrade they couldn't handle the added power.

BTW the best RWD single turbo car is the 94. just kidding they are all good just depends on what you want from ownership.

 

Interesting, I saw this thread and didn’t want to touch it with a 10 foot pole…But I agree you cannot value Row cars and US cars the same here in the States. Just as you can’t do the same in Europe/ Row. But with that said, I think the values of Row/ US models become more homogenous when condition is factored in. The value is in unmolested, original examples, regardless of where the car originated. This is now what is becoming rare in 930s (all vintage Porsches for that matter). I’ve seen several original well preserved US cars in Europe. They’re going back for the obvious reason they are in better, more original condition then the remaining Row cars. Again these are generalizations, there are always anomalies. But this is ultimately what is rare, what is valued, and what dictates prices. These are the cars that have skewed the Hagerty value guide north of $100K, and raised the insurance premiums of every 930 owner.

There’s no “best year” for the 930, there’s pros and cons on all years throughout its lineage. Do your homework and gain knowledge on the specific years/ period of cars. Maybe then you can decide on a year or period of car of interest. But find a well preserved, original example, you’ll be better off in the short and long run. Oh, And, get ready to pay.