Porsche 968

Today the Grand Prix white (color code 908) convertible with its beautiful and rare beige "Kashmir" full leather interior is at my home in the Upper Bavarian Alpine foothills and is in absolute top form.

The second owner re-imported the vehicle to Germany in 2012 and did everything right during the homologation: the chrome-plated (!!) 16-inch cup rims were highly professionally painted (also) in Grand Prix white – a feast for the eyes per se – while the rear spoiler and tail light on the trunk lid were banished forever and the Sony CD radio had to make way for the harmonious "BECKER DTM" audio system, which harmonizes perfectly with the Porsche sound package with 8 speakers that is included as an optional extra.

Speaking of optional extras. Among the many goodies that I am offering with my 968 Cabriolet (more on that below) is the reprint of the price list from March 1, 1992, from which I am allowed to quote (in DM and including the then VAT of 14%):

968 Cabriolet with 6-speed: 104,800.–

2nd rear fog light: 100.–

Automatic cruise control: 875.–

Leather interior including seats: 5850.–

Sports seats left and right with electric height adjustment. 1100.–

Air conditioning: 3430.–

Sound package: 500.–

The car therefore cost an incredible 116,655 DM in April 1992. In addition to this, there is the retrofitted wind deflector.

There are two Classic Data certificates. The first was created on August 16, 2012, after the "bringing home" from Colorado to Flensburg, the photos contained therein show the convertible still with the US applications (replacement value at the time: 26,000 EUR).

On October 23, 2023, exactly ten months ago, a second certificate was written in Kiel, with the odometer reading at 69,389 km (40,600 EUR for a grade of 2 overall condition, the appraiser would have valued a grade of 1 at 64,000 EUR).

Since its return, the car has only ever been to Porsche centers for service and/or repairs. From August 2012 at the PZ Kiel, from August 2024 at "my" PZ Inntal. I bought "CASHMO" (that's what my daughter-in-law named it) on July 3rd of this year

Of course, all the invoices (in addition to the American receipts) are in my extensive 968 folder, starting with the 33-point check after homologation in August 2012 (4,385.61 EUR).

The major jobs recently include, for example, new brake pads and discs, the fan control and the windshield washer reservoir, filter and thermal switch, pump and actuator (May 24th, 2022 / 2,997.18 EUR).

In this context, in addition to the maintenance, another 33-point check was also carried out, this time for the Classic Card Heritage (1,080.96 EUR).

On October 5th, 2023, the "report for the classification of the vehicle as a vintage car" was drawn up at the same time as the MOT (without any defects found), and it goes without saying that all points were met without any problems.

Four weeks ago, during a short trip, the vehicle suddenly got hot. There was confusion, and my convertible was in the PZ Inntal workshop for a long time. This week I was able to pick it up again.

It was the water pump. I also had the right main headlight replaced, it had become milky due to halogen leakage (you can see it in some photos that I took before the workshop visit, the current photos were taken this week). It's amazing that the TÜV in Flensburg accepted this…

A new steering column was also needed, as well as a timing belt, tension pulleys, etc.

The total cost took my breath away for a moment: EUR 5395.15. I hadn't expected that.

For that I can now offer, with a clear conscience, a 968 Cabriolet in top technical condition – there is absolutely nothing wrong with the look either – which will not have any problems for a VERY long time, and that means my car is definitely alone among the few Porsches of this rare type on offer…

Immediately after picking it up from the PZ I quickly got on the motorway to test whether the engine really wasn't getting hot anymore 🙂 … I wasn't paying attention for a moment and was immediately at 230 km/h, and CASHMO suddenly drives like a contemporary. I am sure it would easily manage the 252 km/h stated in the vehicle registration document. But it doesn't have to…

The car is simply a joy to drive. People are almost constantly talking to you and asking you questions, "thumbs up" is the least you get. You hardly ever see the model on the road, no wonder: according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, there are fewer than 600 968 convertibles in Germany.

What is special is not just the small number of units – Porsche built 653 units for the USA and Canada in the 1992 model year, and a total of just 3,959 Porsche 968 convertibles rolled out of the Zuffenhausen plant in five years – it was also the car with the most torquey four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine in the world: a three-liter engine with 240 hp and 305 Newton meters. That still puts a big grin on the face of the person behind the wheel today.

I have been looking for this exact vehicle for a long time: with a manual transmission (definitely not with Tiptronic!!!) and cashmere leather, preferably a re-import from the USA. Why the latter?

Very simple: the car is not really a four-seater, and the cool luggage compartment with railing above the two lockable compartments is, in my opinion, much nicer and more practical than a back seat that cannot be used. In addition, US vehicles, especially those from the West and which are accordingly well maintained, are usually top-equipped and rust-free. This of course also applies to CASHMO. The 968 is fully galvanized, but there are still hollow spaces in which rust can form. Not in this case.

For eleven years (2011-2022) I worked as Senior Representative Germany & Austria at Bonhams, the third largest auction house in the world, and in addition to art, antiques, Asiatica, watches, jewelry, etc., I also dealt with the auction of classic automobiles almost every day. I am firmly convinced that a "hand-picked", PZ service book-maintained Porsche 968 Cabriolet with few kilometers on the clock and a rare color combination is one of the stars among car investments.

Almost at the same time as the 968 Cabriolet (i.e. also very recently), I bought an Alfa Spider Fastback 2000 Veloce from 1974, another old dream of mine… The Spider roars and croaks, is not always easy to shift gears and hops skidding through the curve with its rear rigid axle; it requires the utmost attention from the moment it starts. It's archaic fun, but you do reach your limits a bit, occasionally…

The open 968 is almost the exact opposite: confident, extremely well-made, always controllable – but also immediately there, and in the most agile way, if required. No wind turbulence topless on the motorway, the wind deflector that folds down in a second and the low seating position on the damn comfortable seats let you sink into Abraham's lap, as if in Abraham's lap. A radio wasn't even installed in the Spider 50 years ago, it wouldn't have made much sense. On the other hand, there's almost a concert atmosphere in the 968 with its fine sound package. That's how relaxed cruising works, but it can also get down to business suddenly, if "necessary", as already mentioned. An incredibly balanced vehicle, and yet so nimble as a lightning bolt and wonderfully maneuverable, due to its design…

Sure, opinions are a little divided when it comes to the Porsche Transaxle. You don't HAVE to love it, it's not a 911. Even if in its day it not only easily matched the performance of the 911, but even surpassed it with the top model 968 Turbo S: with 305 hp, the 2+2 seater had a top speed of 280 km/h. Not even the 911 Turbo offered more speed at the time. Incidentally, the 968 was the first Porsche ever to be equipped with a manual six-speed gearbox – a gearshift that only the Lotus Omega, BMW 850i and Audi 100 S4 had on board.

"How to turn a tight corner into a fast corner: the Porsche 968," was the caption from the advertising department of the Stuttgart sports car specialist in late summer 1991 about their latest new addition. The 968 is "the most beautiful way to continue the Porsche tradition."

And that brings us to the "goodies" already mentioned, which will be in the neat trunk when the car is handed over to the next owner, which I acquired in the past few weeks due to my curiosity and enthusiasm for this extraordinary vehicle (usually new):

• 4 large format posters, in a poster roll
• 3 specialist books on the Porsche 968:
• Frank Pieper, "PORSCHE 968. The Compendium"
• Halwart Schrader, "PORSCHE 924 / 944 / 968"
• Thomas Fuths, "Porsche 924 944 968 928"
• 4 ads (partly framed)
• German operating instructions
• American manuals (from 1992):
• Warranty / Maintenance / Dealer Directory USA and CANADA / Owner's Manual / Arbitration Procedure
• Original PORSCHE press release on the launch of the 968: "Evolution to the Porsche identity", 15 pages, June 1991
• Original PORSCHE press release on the launch of the 968 in the USA: "THE 1992 PORSCHE 968 – Styling, Power, and Agility for Rewarding Sports Car Performance", including press photos, December 1991
• BECKER Code Card and CD
• NAVI CD
• Brochure Porsche 968 ("How to build sports cars"), 08/1992, 37 pages (reprint)
• Price list PORSCHE 968, valid from 1.2.1992 (Reprint)
• PORSCHE 968, special print from "Christophorus" No. 2321
• The brand new Indoor Car Cover Porsche Classic – 924, 944, 968 (322,00 €) purchased from the Porsche Shop
• Custom-made textile floor mats (doormat: black / edging: beige imitation leather / quilting: double 2 threads / heel protector: rubber (160.00 €)

AND THE PRINTED WORKSHOP MANUAL !!!

_________________________________________

I'm selling the car (so quickly) for health reasons alone, and that makes me very sad and upset. Unfortunately it only just came about. But it is unavoidable.

I would like this wonderful and rare vehicle to go to someone who appreciates it as much as I do.

CASHMO can be viewed and test driven here near Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria by appointment by phone (or text message, WhatsApp, email).

I love transparency, both ways, which is why I give my name and license plate number, I have nothing to hide. Of course, the offer also includes the complete folder with all the documents.

Anyone who buys this extraordinarily magnificent example of a species that has long been threatened with extinction (or rather: from the very beginning) is not making a mistake, but on the contrary is doing everything right.

I have not the slightest doubt about that.

How did the advertising agency responsible for marketing the Porsche 968 Cabrio put it again over 30 years ago? Oh yes:

Guaranteed free of saloon add-ons! or

No roof over your head, but driving a Porsche.

In a 968 Cabriolet, it's a whole different story.

Please don't miss out on this.