122 | THE GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE
With the introduction of the 911 Speedster in January 1989, Porsche
revived a charismatic model from its past, the name previously having
been applied to that most stylish of the many Type 356 variants. Based
on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, though normally aspirated, the 3.2-litre
Speedster was launched immediately prior to the introduction of the
new Type 964 bodyshell, and thus was the last 911 model to feature
the 'old style' body. The latter was reworked by chief stylist Tony Lapine,
incorporating numerous references to the original 356 Speedster as well
as a pair of controversial 'camel hump' cowlings behind the seats that
concealed the stowed-away manual hood. A mere 2,102 Speedsters
had been completed by the time of the new Type 964's introduction in
August 1989.
Their arrival representing a major step forward in the development of
Porsches perennial 911, the Type 9 4 Carreras marked the first time that
four-wheel drive had been seen on a series-production model, appearing
on the Carrera 4. Porsche had experimented with four-wheel drive on the
959 supercar, and many of the lessons learned from the latter inÅuenced
the design of the new Carreras' chassis and suspension.
Face-lifted but retaining that familiar shape, the newcomers had been
given a more extensive work-over mechanically, 87% of parts being
claimed as entirely new. The pair shared the same 3. -litre Åat-six engine,
while power-assisted steering (another 911 first), anti-lock brakes and a
five-speed manual transmission were standard on both, with the Tiptronic
auto 'box a Carrera 2-only option. Its new engine enabled the 964 to
out-perform the old '3.2' yet still met the latest emissions regulations, top
speed increasing to 162mph with 60mph attainable in 5.4 seconds (5.6
seconds Tiptronic).It took Porsche a couple of years to re-introduced the Speedster to the
911 line-up, the Type 964 version being announced in October 1992.
Based on the Carrera 2, it looked very like its immediate predecessor,
but unlike the latter was not initially available with the 'Turbo-Look' body
style. It is estimated that only 936 Type 964 Speedsters were built for the
1993 model year, with some of the later examples being completed as
1994 cars and sold alongside the successor Type 993 Porsches. With
the latter's introduction, the Speedster once again disappeared from the
911 catalogue, only to be revived a few years ago as part of Porsche's
'Exclusive' programme of strictly limited edition models.136
1993 PORSCHE 911 TYPE 964 SPEEDSTER
Registration no. L927 SGW
Chassis no. WPOZZZ96ZRS455328
- Delivered new to Japan
- One of only 936 built
- UK registered since April 2016
- Circa 7,500 miles from new