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HomePick of the DayTurbo-launched Porsche 930 remains a performance icon

Turbo-launched Porsche 930 remains a performance icon

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The 930 Turbo (aka 911 Turbo) was the first road car that Porsche built in a no-holds-barred assault to dominate the entire sports car world.

The 930, launched in 1974 smack in the middle of an energy crisis made absolutely no sense on paper, yet Porsche still chose to move forward with what at the time was a tour-de-force performance car that incorporated many of the lessons learned at storied locales named Daytona and Le Mans.

Porsche
The 930 was one of the fastest cars of its day

The 911 Turbo delivered some of the strongest performance numbers of the 1970s and ‘80’s, capable of 0-60 times as quick as 5.0 seconds flat and an incredible top speed of 162 mph. This all came in a car that required that you be at the top of your game at all times behind the wheel, as the 930 demanded respect and skill to deliver, and do it safely.

Porsche fans will be forever grateful that the company ignored the political climate at the time and moved forward with these amazing performance cars. As artwork, the 930 was proudly displayed on many teenagers’ walls, and many of those dreamers now own one of these iconic sports cars.

Since the original car was introduced at the Paris Auto Show, Porsche has seen fit to always have a 911 Turbo in its lineup, though not always available in the United States due to emissions laws.

Porsche
The 911 Turbo wears Porsche’s emblematic whale tale

This leads us to the Pick of the Day, a 1980 Porsche 930/911 Turbo located in Phoenix. Being a 1980 model, this 930 is not the usual gray-market car but was bought new in Canada, where the import laws were nowhere near as draconian as they were in the US.

As classic cars, Porsche turbos have soared in popularity during the past five years, and the prices have risen as a result. A few years ago, they skyrocketed in price with many selling in excess of $150,000, but they’ve dropped a bit in recent years to become more affordable.

This example is a European-spec Porsche 930/911 Turbo in Hellblau Blue with factory blue-leather and cloth interior. It is a two-owner car with 72,000 original miles, according to the private seller advertising the car on ClassicCars.com.

Porsche
A Momo steering wheel is said to be the only departure from original

The Porsche received a high-quality restoration in 2003 and was repainted to a very high standard in its original color, the seller adds.  The engine was rebuilt in 2008, and the car is said to run and drive perfectly.

Every part on this Porsche is factory correct and the car has been nicely maintained, the seller notes, with the only deviation from stock being a Momo steering wheel.

A Porsche 930 from behind the wheel is the automotive equivalent of a roller coaster. It has gobs of Turbo lag combined with the capability of hitting 55 mph in first gear, 94 mph in second, 127 mph in third, all the way to 160 mph-plus top speed in fourth. This makes the 930 one of the most engaging and exciting cars ever, although sometimes challenging with its pronounced turbo lag and propensity for oversteer.

At an asking price of $90,000, it is correctly priced for its apparent fine condition in today’s market.

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.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Stepfather’s buddy traded his pumpkin orange Carrera with the whale tail for a black on black one of these in London, Ontario a couple years after I went into the USAF.
    I believe that the wing on this model is called the "tea tray", due to the sides and more vertical rear lip. Look at early 911 Carreras, the lip on the wing has a pronounced radius, much more organic than later wings as this example, and the sides were quite subdued.
    Still, a brilliant car. Check the old Chuck Norris film "Good Guys Wear Black" to see one Hollywood flogged.

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