1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Sport Targa

The seller bought ‘FIL 9055’ from us in June 2022, and while he’s thoroughly enjoyed his time with his 911 Targa, he’s spending more time abroad than he expected, so hasn’t been able to use it as much as he would have liked to – and being a mechanically sympathetic chap, he’s reluctantly concluded it would be better served in someone else’s garage.

Dry-stored and only used sparingly in the summer, that same understanding attitude means he hasn’t been afraid to invest significant time and money to bring it up to a standard he’s happy with.

This work included investing almost £9,000 with Pie Performance in December 2022 for a major service, a new fuel tank, and lots and lots of minor fettling. The same firm then made repairs to the rear inner wheelarches and fitted two rear Pirelli tyres for another £3,320 in February 2023.

May 2023 saw him spend another £2,000 with Pie for more fettling including new front brake discs and pads. He also spent almost £1,500 with Porsche Cambridge in April 2025, and had the driver’s seat upholstery repaired, the seats re-Connolised, the Targa roof checked, and the paintwork corrected and ceramic coated by Cambridge Concours in August 2023 at a cost of £2,800.

He also fitted a Blaupunkt Bremen headunit, thus brilliantly blending retro looks with hi-fidelity sound.

He is not a man to skimp.

But then nor was the previous owner who estimates she spent around £26,000 in her 20-year tenure including a body overhaul comprising new front wings and repairs to the rear wings followed by a respray in its original colour of Prussian Blue. Carried out by the Body Boys at Old Piggeries in 2007, this work alone cost her more than £5,000.

Tuthill Porsche also built and strengthened the gearbox and clutch in 2014 for her, and fitted new heat exchangers and a stainless-steel exhaust along with a few other bits and bobs at a cost of almost £4,500.

The result is a good ‘un: It looks fabulous and the 3.2-litre Carrera’s 234bhp means you can tick 60mph off in a whisker over six seconds and it won’t run out of steam until you see a little over 150mph on the speedometer.

Finished in recently refreshed and very rare colour of Prussian Blue (paint code L33X), the coachwork presents very well indeed. Of course, Porsche 911s of this era set something of a benchmark for quality control and build quality, and this is evident still by way of excellent shutlines and good overall panel alignment.

It’s got a great profile, especially with the Targa top removed, a state that really allows you to appreciate the iconic rear wing.

The gingicators have been replaced with clear versions, including the side repeaters. If originality is your thing, then you will probably want to change them back but, FWIW, we think the clear versions clean up the front end nicely.

The rest of the lamp lenses are in such good shape that the only criticism we have is that the nearside rear fog lamp is wonky, truly a #firstworldproblem.

The badges are good too, and even smaller details, like the ultra-clean door shuts, point to above-average curation.

The 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels have only minor marks to their rims. The tyres are matching Pirelli P-Zero Rosso, with 205/50R17 on the front axle and 255/40R17 on the rear. Made in 2018 and 2022 respectively, all have good tread left on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The Targa roof fits well and is remarkable straightforward to take off and put back on. It’s a clever design that will allow you to make the most of the sunny weather that’s coming.

As for flaws, the front end has a few large chips on the bumper plus two large scratches on its offside corner. The bonnet has a stonechip, as does the nearside door, the panel below the rear screen, and the rear wing. The driver’s door has a scratch, and while many of these chips and scratches have been touched-in, the paint used is a slightly different colour.

The rear bumper also has cracked paint to its nearside corner and is missing a blanking plug to the left of the numberplate. The offside front wing has a chip and a small dent, the driver’s door makes a cracking noise when it is opened, and some of the window rubbers have gone hard with age. Finally, door edge protectors have been fitted, and we haven’t removed them to check underneath.

The interior is trimmed in Ivory leather that’s been piped in blue to coordinate with the blue leather that was used for the dashboard, gearlever gaiter, and the top of the door cards. Speaking of which the door trims were retrimmed in 2008 and are in a good condition still; mind you, it’s only covered around 11,000 miles since then, so that’s only to be expected.

The re-Connolised front seats are in a very good condition too with plump, firm cushions (bar some slight softening to the outer lower bolster of the driver’s seat) and no obvious damage to their face material. Electrically adjustable, while they do still show some cracks, we think these could be chalked up to a developing patina and ignored for a while yet.

Of course, the rear seats fold down to give extra luggage space for coats and soft bags and the rear of the backrest is trimmed in carpet. Folding them down also uncovers a leather-trimmed rear bulkhead; thus equipped, your 911 remains elegant no matter how the seat is used.

And the rear seat’s leather face material is even better than that of the front seats too, making the rear compartment a rare win/win. But then, like the coachwork, few sportscars had a more durable interior than the 911, something that’s evident even after more than 150,000 miles and 40 years.

The steering wheel is a fat-rimmed Momo Competition jobbie, and the headunit is the handy-dandy Blaupunkt Bremen we mentioned in our introduction.

The frunk is as well-trimmed as the cabin and plays host to a space-saver spare wheel, what looks like a recent Bosch battery, and the new fuel tank.

Oh, and the somewhat rusty tool kit might not win you any prizes for its condition but it may get you out of trouble at a pinch.

Some of the instrument bezels have gone a bit rusty and freshening these up would be our priority. There isn’t anything else to comment on really, other than a few minor scuffs.

While we’re on the subject of freshening things up, if you were to pay someone to spend a couple of hours freshening the engine bay up few would accuse you of being overly fastidious.

That said, the important stuff looks good: We spotted genuine Mahle filters under there as well as a genuine Porsche drivebelt and maybe a recent air filter.

No wonder then that the flat-six engine starts and idles so nicely. Nor that the oil pressure rises in line with the revs, and that the air-cooled engine makes all the right noises and none of the wrong.

We see evidence of recent underseal too thanks to the repairs to the rear wheel arches. Everything looks fine and dandy too, something the recent MoT supports. You might like to tidy up some of the areas that show light surface rust, but this looks like it’s a job that could wait, maybe until next winter?

The 911’s MoT certificate, which expires in April 2027, was issued with no advisories.

The recent vehicle history check report is clear, and the history file includes a service book with no fewer than 21 service stamps in it up to the mid-noughties, with notes for items such as fresh brake fluid and a replacement speedometer.

Invoices pick up the service trail thereafter, and other paperwork includes the original Porsche Guarantee and Maintenance book, and Blaupunkt Bremen headunit, the Driver’s Manual, and a bunch of expired MoT certificates and old tax discs.

It also contains numerous invoices for repair work throughout its life.

NB: The personalised numberplate will be staying with the car.

If you’re going to buy a classic sportscar then you really ought to get the OG.

Always in demand and never disappointing, a well-fettled 911 is a hero that lives up to every one of your expectations.

After decades in the doldrums the Targa has become as popular as it deserves to be too; offering the best of both worlds, it straddles the line between coupé and convertible with characteristic Porsche confidence.

And let’s not forget the 911’s rock-solid residuals; a quick search on here will reveal that the seller paid £33,750 for this example back in 2022, so our estimate of between £30,000 and £40,000 should give him back the original purchase price.

As for you, tidying up the (very few) marks on the coachwork would help solidify its value and build on the extensive renovations it’s benefitted from over the past two decades.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.