Picture yourself opening your grandfather’s neglected garage and beginning to clean it out. After getting rid of decades of dust and those old cardboard moving boxes, the unmistakable outline of an old classic Porsche emerges.
You blow off the dust, and as the sheets drop down, you pull them away to reveal the iconic lines of a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa — a prize that can make any car-lover’s heart skip a beat.
So why are these cars now fit to bust today? It is a function of rarity, quality, and nostalgia. The ’80s 911s were equipped with Porsche’s fabled 3.2-liter flat-six, which made about 214 horsepower in U.S. spec — enough to ensure that these are exhilarating but still usable classics. Particularly sought-after is the 1988 model year since it featured the G50 gearbox, which was known for its better shift quality and greater robustness than the earlier 915 gearbox. Add in the mechanical improvements, and you have an offensively capable classic 1988 Carrera Targa, which is at the top of any collector’s list who is aiming to acquire investment-grade classics.
The 1988 Carrera Targa Porsche is a Historical Sports Car
The 1988 Carrera Targa is not just a sports car for collectors or hobbyists. It was an important chapter in the history of the automobile. The end of the 80’s also meant the end of the first generation of 911, the G-Series 911, before Porsche introduced the 964 generation in ’89. The Targa, with its removable roof panel, brushed steel roll hoop, was nothing less than open-air motoring supported by more structure than you get with a car with a traditional convertible roof.
Low-mileage, unmodified cars, what’s known as a “survivor,” free of heavy modification or restoration, is the Holy Grail. If you come into an old Porsche, how can you determine the value of the car? If you have found a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, or any vintage car in the garage clean-up, do not start it and just drive away. An important thing to remember is to contact a professional for an appraisal on your find and find out the value of the car.
Here are a few things you should know about your find:
Verify the VIN and engine numbers against Porsche records to authenticate the car. Look for factory paint codes and signs of original upholstery. Find the history of service in regards to your car. Old service receipts and a stamped maintenance manual are gold. These items can assist in providing some key information about the car. Discovering a lost Porsche tucked away in your grandfather’s garage may sound like a dream, but it is more common than you might imagine. For the luckiest among us who unearth a 1988 Carrera Targa buried under dust, it might mean not only enjoying a transcendent piece of history but also an ever-more-valuable investment, whose stellar appeal has yet to peak.