Minerva Blue Turbo: 1979 Porsche 930
If you recall the hit comedy that provided a staggeringly accurate portray of corporate life called Office Space, you may remember that the neanderthal boss drove a Porsche 911 in the memorable shade of Minerva Blue. Thankfully, given how unbearable Lundberg is, he didn’t have a Turbo but a fairly basic 911 SC (albeit one with factory front and rear spoilers.) This 930 is in stunning condition inside and out, and while I can’t guarantee a previous owner wasn’t a horrible boss, the car itself is quite fetching. The seller is asking a very reasonable $72,300.
The Cork leather upholstery has some typical creasing but is otherwise in great shape. The corresponding carpets and door panels are likewise in very tidy condition, and while it doesn’t have the desirable optional Recaros, that wouldn’t stop me from wanting to slide on in. The 930 may have been the ultimate 911 you could buy in 1979, but it still came with a four-speed manual standard. The later 911s received a much improved transmission, but to me, the antiquated gearbox is actually somewhat endearing considering it was stuck inside an absolute beast of a car.
What’s even more incredible is that this 930 has 82,000 miles on the clock, which is significant for two reasons: the body is in excellent condition with no obvious flaws in the paintwork, and the cabin looks like it has seen about half of those miles. The black Fuchs wheels with the corresponding spoilers and black trim provides a nice contrast against the blue paint, the the seriously flared rear fenders remind you that this is a turbocharged model. The rear haunches stick out significantly compared to an NA model, which is one of the best features of any 930.
If you consider the 930 archaic by today’s standards, you’re not far off. However, that doesn’t meant the performance was anything to sneeze at: it still reached 60 in safely under 6 seconds, and the quarter mile blasted by in under 14 flat. In addition to having a reputation of being hard to handle at the limit, the 930 was also generously equipped, coming standard with leather seats, a rear wiper, headlamp washers, air conditioning, and more. A turbocharged 911 will always be a special car, and even more so when it wears a special color like Minerva Blue. Check out this 930 here on craigslist and located on Staten Island.
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now1 days$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now4 days$100
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now4 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now4 days$500
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now6 days$4,000
Comments
Beautiful car. I can attest to the fun factor effect of driving these cars as we road tested all the cars that came into the shop. Not made for running around town but it’s territory is out on the open road. Initially the 5 speed transmission wasn’t strong enough to take the power but the upgraded unit installed just after this model year solved that problem.
930s were built with 4 speed 930 transaxles until the final year in 1989. Those cars had a G50/50 5 speed gearbox with hydraulic clutch. Some cars were converted with shortened 915 or G50 5 speed boxes. The issue was the torsion bars got in the way. Plus the available 5 speeds were not quite stout enough. 1989 model year had shortened torsion bars.
Has to be a scam. No way someone would leave $50K on the table. These are going for $120K plus.
Jeff, many thanks for not repeating the usual, well, stuff, about the 930’s handling woes. I put many miles on more than one of these beasts, some right at my limits, and found that a little attention and respect got the driver plenty of speed on the tightest roads, not to mention what was once stunning speed and is still more than respectable today.
Personally, I don’t recall any issues with four versus five speeds in the transmission either, though the fifth cog seemed to make for nicer highway cruising.
Have to agree with Brian S. This is either way underpriced, or there’s something expensively not right under all the shiny stuff. If it’s solid mechanically and rust-free, it’s a smokin’ bargain.
One of my all-time favorites.
It is interesting that the car listing is Stanten island, but the pictures are in a more tropical environment.
Yes, the ad has scam written all over it.
Where is “Stanten Island” ? Maybe it’s in southern New York.
It’s a scam. I tried to reach the seller last week. Way too cheap!!!! That was the first sign!
Jeff – how could you not include the TPS reports with this car, along with the correct cover page?
Seriously, the color is fantastic.
Sold on BAT 2/11/23 $142,000
Yep, and it was a FL car and the guy is using the same pics from that auction. I emailed him via CL and asked several pertinent questions so it’ll be interesting to see if he responds.
JohnM,
I did the same.
Did you offer twice the asking price?
it is for sure a scam … I saw this same car, these same pictures used, for a 930 been sold, like 6 months ago, in an Alabama’s dealership of used cars (not Porsche)