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HomePick of the DayBoxster in blue: rare factory color differentiates affordable Porsche

Boxster in blue: rare factory color differentiates affordable Porsche

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A classic car’s color can matter quite a bit. If your classic sports car came in, say, brown, it would tend to be a bit less desirable than one in silver.

Then there are those cars that, although common models, came delivered in a rare factory color. They tend to trade for more money than the same model in a more common factory color.

The leaders in this game of colors are Ferrari and Porsche. Even cars painted in such iconic colors as Rosso or Guards Red will trade for less than those in Rosso Rubino or Speed Yellow.

Porsche
The mid-engine Boxster remains an affordable used sports car

The Pick of the Day is a common car in a rare color, a 1997 Porsche Boxster painted in the very rare shade of Blue Turquoise. This color is so rare it had to be special ordered from Porsche, and you had to know that the color even existed as it shows up nowhere in the factory brochures as an option for the Boxster.

I had questions about this color being on a Boxster, believing it was limited to 911 models. But when I saw the factory options sticker affixed to this car, there was the paint code L3AS, which translates to Blue Turquoise.  The Porsche is advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Omaha, Nebraska.

Now, this might seem like a lot of nonsense, but Porsche buyers have proven time and again to be very willing to pay as much as double for a specific model car in a specific rare color. This color definitely qualifies and this is one of only five 1997 Boxsters that I have located in this fantastic blue color.

Porsche
Black alloy wheels set off the blue paint

One of the nice things about this being a Boxster, and a Tiptronic-equipped Boxster at that, is that it is still affordable despite the special color. If were a 993 – the 911 model at that time – in Blue Turquoise, it would likely cost double of an identical 1993, but in Silver.

This Boxster quite likely will increase in value far ahead of Boxsters that have Silver or Red factory paint.

There is more to this car than a rare paint color, though. First off, it is a first-year Boxster with 72,000 original miles. Any Boxster is a first-rate sports car, and possibly the best buy used of any modern sports car on the market today.

Porsche
The Porsche was optioned with a full leather interior

In addition, this example includes the following options: black full-leather interior, 18-inch TSW 5-spoke black alloys, Tiptronic automatic transmission, AM-FM CD stereo system with factory amps and speakers, sport steering wheel, automatic speed control, air deflector, on-board computer, remote 6 CD changer, aluminum Tiptronic shifter, metal door sills with Boxster insignia, aluminum instrument dials, aluminum/leather parking brake handle, oval exhaust pipe, silver roll bar and factory battery disconnect.

Basically, this is a fully loaded Boxster in a rare color, with low miles for a good price.

Many of you will fault the Tiptronic automatic. Not as much fun as a manual-equipped car, granted, but the Tiptronic is a great shiftable automatic transmission that is nearly as engaging as a manual gearbox.

Porsche
The top looks to be in good condition

The performance hit is pretty marginal; a Tiptronic Boxster can still cover 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and has a 146 mph top speed. So this is not your everyday automatic.

But what is most special about this car is its color. This is a car to buy, preserve and drive, with the knowledge that in a few years, you are likely not to lose any money on the purchase due to the rarity of its hue.

The asking price for this stunning car is only $12,900 and would be a great Christmas present to gift to yourself.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

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Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andy Reid's first car, purchased at age 15, was a 1968 Fiat 124 coupe. His second, obtained by spending his college savings fund, was a 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Since then, he has owned more than 150 cars—none of them normal or reasonable—as well as numerous classic motorcycles and scooters. A veteran of film, television, advertising and helping to launch a few Internet-based companies, Reid was a columnist for Classic Motorsports magazine for 12 years and has written for several other publications. He is considered an expert in European sports and luxury cars and is a respected concours judge. He lives in Canton, Connecticut.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Any chance I can join you for your Scottsdale auctions walk this year?
    I’m not an SCM platinum member but certainly enjoy your insight and knowledge. Thanks Andy and Merry Christmas!

  2. Definitely the pick of the day and super rare colour. 14 only painted in this colour in 1997 and 1998 only. I also have a 97 which is only one of this colour in Ireland

    • There are more than 14 blue turquoise Boxster. It was an optioned paint to sample color for a number of years, and somehow someone has this color code on their 986.2 options sticker. Special order of blue turquoise was available on the 986. Maybe 14 between ‘97-‘98, but not in total.

  3. There are eight different shades of blue on the Boxster 986-generation! There are no other colors with so many shades. About 16% of 986s are blue Boxsters.

    The first model year 1997 was available in three blue shades. Unlike the more typical metallic and pearly colors for blue Boxster, Blue Turquoise (Blautürkis) is a non-metallic color. It is only available for 1997 and 1998 models. The other two shades of blue that begun the 986-generation, the metallic colors Zenith Blue Metallic (Zenitblau-met) and Ocean Blue Metallic (Oceanblau-met) are both available in the 1997–2000 models.

    1999 was a blue Boxster year because there are six shades of blue available! One of the new shades of this year is the metallic Cobalt Blue Metallic (Cobaltblau-met) and is available until the end of the Porsche Boxster 986-generation. The two new pearl colors, Dark Blue Pearl (Nachtblau-met), also known as Midnight Blue Metallic, of the same year, is also available until the end, and Iris Blue Pearl only in the 1999 and 2000 models. Dark Blue (Dunkelblau) didn’t last until the end, only until the 2001 model year. The 2001 Porsche 986 is also available in the last Lapis Blue Metallic (Lapisblau-met) tone until the end of the 986-generation.

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