1988 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera Sport Celebration LE

Made on 1 September 1987, this 911 is one of the aforementioned 875 Commemorative Editions made worldwide, as confirmed by an accompanying Porsche Certificate of Authenticity in the car’s generously proportioned history file. Beyond looking fantastic with its mix of bespoke metallic paint (Diamond Blue Metallic) and Silver Blue ruffled interior, this 911 CE also benefits from a suitably overt ‘whale tail’ rear spoiler and front splitter. This does herald from the 1980s after all, an era when you really wanted everyone to know that you were driving something special.

Although its mechanical layout is largely the same as a stock 3.0-litre Carrera Sport, the CE did come with a fairly comprehensive set of options based on the 3.2 Sport Equipment Package, yet beyond that included luxury carpets, electrically operated seats and sunroof, a short shift transmission lever taken from the Club Sport, sports shocks and body-coloured Fuchs alloys. This example was also shipped with a limited-slip differential and a Blaupunkt Toronto Cassette/radio. As an ’88 model, in common with its less exclusive 911 brethren, this CE (thought to be one of only 30 originally imported to the UK) also benefits from the much-improved – and sought after in 911 circles – Getrag G50 5-speed transmission.
 

With a respectable 135k miles on its ‘clock’, this 911’s paintwork is holding up remarkably well. There are a few small imperfections here and there, as we’d expect for even the best kept 36-year-old classic, but generally this 911 still presents very well. Its unique Diamond Blue metallic paint, seen only on this limited edition, still gleams and reflects with a mirror shine down the car’s flanks.

Pirelli tyres all round look good, as do the alloys upon which they’re shod. Look really closely at the wheels and you’ll spot the odd minor scratch to the outer edges or centre caps (latter paint peeling from the offside rear) but they hold up well to all but close scrutiny. The story is the same with the bodywork generally, with only a few minor marks evident, some small stone impact marks on the vulnerable lower front valance for example – that seems to have been given a precautionary coating of stone guard.

The panels seem very straight and the gaps typically tight and Teutonic (excellent and even). However, we spied a few light chips on the mirror casings, paint peeling from the wiper arms, a very small rust bubble under the paint on the nearside base of the windscreen scuttle (under rubber), a dent on the nearside wing, and thinning paint around a chip to the offside front nacelle, near the headlight.

The sunroof ceased to operate for us once we opened it so this will top the very small number of jobs on the to-do list for the new owner. A common malaise with sunroofs of this age, yet in Porsche's 80's wisdom they installed an access panel into the headlining, and a little googling suggests that a fix is an inexpensive, if a bit of a fiddly, job.

Despite these minor niggles, and the nearside rear bumper trim insert seeming coming loose plus a small patch of paint is peeling – just next to the bellow (same side), this 911 still makes an excellent account of itself, merely showing what could be described as patina. 
 

It’s more of the same on the inside, as the cabin of this 911 feels like a fantastic period piece that’s weathered its near four decades with aplomb. The Silver Blue metallic soft-look leather interior, with those eye-catching signed Porsche headrests, still seems enormously inviting. The fabric has held up well, with no nasty rips or tears evident, although the same light patina as the exterior can be found in the usual high-traffic areas (steering wheel rim and driver’s outer bolster).

The evocative 1980s touches continue with a cassette tidy in centre console, the car’s cassette ‘deck’ still present, though showing a ‘CODE’ warning when booted up. The audio appears to have been upgraded too. We’re not sure if that was from the factory, or since, but there are now two speakers per door, one handling the high tones, the other the bass. Trim looks generally good too, although the carpets seem a little dirty in a few spots (bottom of driver’s door card). While we’re on this side, we also saw a crack to the trim top (in door shut), where the mounting screw has likely been overtightened.
 

The components in the ‘frunk’ are covered by carpeting, making it hard to assess what’s underneath, though we did get the carpet up to inspect the spare wheel and battery areas. The former, a space saver, houses what appears to be an original instruction booklet. There’s also a full tool roll. All fluids here also looked fine and within their expected fill ranges.

At the business end of this 911, under that large be-spoilered lid, the engine bay appears un-detailed but seemingly well maintained. The engine cooling fan shows some surface corrosion for example, but its drive belt looks like a recent addition. There’s also what seems to be a fresh air filter too. The car’s history (which we’ll get to shortly) appears to confirm this, with many trips to dealerships and specialists for on-going mechanical upkeep.

The underside proper still looks generally very clean and well protected. There are, of course, a few minor spots of surface corrosion to the odd component (such as the exhaust and roll bars) but we couldn’t see anything more advanced, with floors and sills seemingly straight and solid.

A pile of invoices and service stamps accompany this Porsche, in fact, there are far too many to list here. The headline entries, however, consist of that aforementioned Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, a handwritten notebook showing on-going servicing, parts replacement and even mpg, plus service stamps from Dick Lovett (Swindon), John Lamb (Chesterfield) – the car’s supplying dealership – and Carrs, Exeter among others.

The last service stamp was dated 2018, but that’s far from the last care metered out on this 911. There is also a large stack of past MoT certificates, though the latest test expired in April.

The following is a list of some of the big bills from the car’s recent history, but it’s far from comprehensive, so we’d advise you take in the rest of the paperwork in your own time.

•    New blower motor supplied by Porsche Centre Swindon in 2022 (£326.64).
•    Steering column replaced in 2017 at Wright Tune, Wallingford (£1165.41).
•    New Pirelli Rosso tyres in 2017 from Sutton Courtenay Tyres (£289.99).
•    Driveshaft replaced in 2010 at Porsche Centre Swindon (£606.97). 
•    Clutch and brakes replaced in 2006 also at Porsche Centre Swindon (£2926.64).
•    Porsche Lifetime Guarantee of Repair from June 1998.
•    Sale receipt from Dick Lovett from 1997 for £26,075 – against a trade in of a Guards Red Porsche 944).
•    Driver’s manual and maintenance pack in its original leather folder.
 

Very few 911s can claim to be limited editions. This 911 is one of the lucky few, with its Commemorative status confirmed by Porsche. On top of its rarity, it was supplied with a number of fantastic fast driver-favoured factory options, like those sport dampers, limited-slip differential, and the short shift gear stick from the Club Sport.

Beyond the obvious driver appeal, this 911 also presents very well, with only a few minor blemishes to trouble the Porsche perfectionist. It wouldn’t take a lot to cure these and have a potential concours contender. Even as it stands, you’ll have a beautifully kept, limited-edition 911 in a unique colour and condition that’s sure to turn many enthusiasts’ heads.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £55,000 - £60,000.

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