1997 Porsche 911 (993) Carrera 2 Cabriolet

This car comes to us courtesy of a vendor (and his enviable classic car collection) we know well.

He has owned the car for just a few months and is only parting with it (and a few of its stablemates) in order to rationalise his collection and make room for whatever next takes his fancy.

We have come to know that he only buys good examples of any particular make or model, and this car is a very striking illustration of that eminently sensible but inevitably expensive philosophy. 

It is strong, attractive and very handsome in every department, as far as we can tell, and it’s as good as you could hope to find outside the rarefied world of concours show ponies or static display exhibits.

This low mileage car currently has 54,747 miles on the clock and is as good to drive as any 993 we’ve encountered – and that’s a high bar. 

In 2007, the odometer was reading 45,414 miles, so it’s safe to assume that it’s been leading a fairly sedate and pampered life over recent years – as evidenced by its exceptional condition. 

The vendor has very recently replaced the fabric roof. 

The bodywork is excellent and wholly uncompromised by any dinks, dents, creases or folds that we can see.

The paintwork, too, is pretty much beyond reproach, and the dark blue finish has a great deal of shine and lustre to it. 

The wheels are equally impressive and don’t appear to have had any meaningful encounters with kerbs or other obstacles.

Ditto the matching Bridgestone Potenza tyres, which look to have plenty of life left in them.

Being more or less brand new, the fabric roof is as good as you’d hope. So, too, is the tonneau cover.

All badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are in good order.

We spotted a tiny spot of nascent blistering at the base of the windscreen at the nearside corner, a few light scratches on the o/s/f wing, and an entirely standard number of small stone chips at the front of the bonnet and around the ‘nose’ of the car.

The good news continues uninterrupted on the inside, where everything is in pretty much time-warp condition and far more a reflection of the car’s low mileage and careful curation than its 27 years of life. 

The grey leather, front and back, has yet to earn more than a few light creases, let alone any ingrained patina. 

The front seats are comfortable, supportive and functional. 

The door cards, grey carpets and black mats are following the same script in terms of preservation and condition, as is the pretty much spotless frunk.

It’s much the same story with the roof lining.

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch, but those we did tweak, press and flick did as they were told without complaining.

The engine bay looks clean and dry (not that you can see much of it in a 911), and everything seems to be in its right and proper place. 

Reassuringly, the undersides of the car appear to have plenty of structural integrity.

This car comes with plenty of bills, receipts and invoices.

It also has a service book with plenty of stamps, save for a hiatus between 2011 and 2017, when we imagine it must have been under SORN conditions or in storage, judging by the mileages recorded. 

The car comes with a recent, clear HPI check. 

If you like 911s, you’ll really like 993s – unless you’re a bit strange (and we don’t think you are).

Obviously, the sage advice with any 911 is to go for one with a good history and plenty of evidence of servicing, maintenance and general expenditure.

This one not only ticks those boxes, it’s also a low mileage example and in clearly exceptional condition.

We like it a great deal.

We’re confident to offer this very fine 993 for auction with an estimate of £40,000 - £50,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.