In case you hadn’t noticed, old Porsches are hot property. Prices have exploded over the past decade, pushing those iconic classic 911s out of the reach of many fans. The 1980s Carrera that was an attainable dream at £15k a decade ago is more like £40k today. And as for the early cars with their delicate bumpers, you’re looking at £70k-plus.
But there are still plenty of ways to put a classic, or modern classic Porsche on your drive.
Porsche 928 £15-20k
One of the few exotic cars to be crowned European Car of the Year, the 928 was supposed to replace the 911, but never quite managed it.
They’ve got a bad reputation for electrical gremlins, one of the reasons prices stayed low for so long, but they’ve definitely acquired cult status now and prices have risen sharply since 2015.
Most are automatics, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: the 928 handles well, but it’s more GT than sports car.
Porsche 924 £3-7k
Porsche created the 924 for Volkswagen, but when VW backed out of the deal, Porsche took the car on as its own.
Some hardcore Porsche fans were less than impressed by the front-mounted water-cooled Audi-derived engine, but the 924 makes a great starter classic.
To keep costs down, stick with the standard 2.0 car rather than the Turbo or 2.5-litre 924 S, which are more expensive to buy and run.
Porsche 996 £15-20k
The 996 generation of the 911 is the bargain of the 911 family. The blander styling and water-cooled engine means they’re worth far less than the 993 they replaced, but they’re faster and, whisper it, even better to drive.
You should still be able to pick up a nice Carrera for £15-20k, although if you want the Turbo-look Carrera 4 S, you should budget for nearer to £25k.
Porsche 944 £5-12k
The 924’s big brother looks much tougher with its flared arches and wider wheels. They’re quicker, too, though by how much depends which one you go for.
An early 2.5-litre car delivers around 160bhp, but if you can afford close to £10k go for the 16-valve S2, which serves up another 50bhp and gets the smoother nose from the now-expensive Turbo.
Porsche Boxster £5-8k
The Boxster celebrates its 25th birthday this year, and Porsche has announced a handsome special edition Boxster to mark the occasion, priced at a steep £73k. But for around £65k less you can buy an excellent example of the very first Boxster and have almost as much fun.
The original 201bhp 2.5-litre cars feel a bit underpowered, and although the later 217bhp 2.7-litre version that replaced it is better, we’d go for the 3.2-litre S. There’s not much difference in price and you get more equipment, 256bhp and a six-speed gearbox.
Keyword: 5 classic Porsches you can still afford