A Passel of Porsche 964s May Cause Bidding War at Amelia Island Auction

For a while there, the Porsche 964 model of the early 1990s suffered from a bit of an ugly duckling syndrome. While unquestionably a worthy descendant of the decades-long air-cooled 911 family, the 964 variant (1990 to 1994) lacked the re-engineered and praised suspension of its successor, the 993 (from 1995 to 1998), while wearing too-smooth sheet metal when compared to its muscled progenitor, the G-Series (1973 to 1989).

But no longer. With collectors’ love of all air-cooled 911s continuing to spike, the 964 is being lauded for everything from its Thor-like chassis to its iconic lines. Nowhere is that passion more evident than in a stellar collection of 11 special 964s (and one 1989 G-Series Turbo flat-nose coupe) that RM Sotheby’s will auction off at its Amelia Island Sale in Florida on March 10.

Leaping out as arresting highlights are two 964s from 1993. One, a never-raced Carrera RSR 3.8, is in rare paint-to-sample Ferrari Fly Yellow, one of 45 with just 475 miles on the odometer (estimated at between $1.2 million and $1.4 million). The other, a Carrera RS 3.8, is clothed in Porsche yellow, one of 55 with less than 4,350 miles on the clock (estimated at $1.25 to $1.5 million).

That’s just the beginning. How about owning a matching pair of European and U.S. Turbo S slant-nose models from 1994, the X83 and X85, respectively. The silver X83 is one of only 10 built (estimated at $500,000 to $650,000) while the yellow X85 is one of just 39 constructed (estimated at $600,000 to $800,000).

And if you kicked yourself for not scooping up a 1993 RS America when these decontented special 911s were first offered, here’s your opportunity to buy a nearly new silver one boasting just 1,700 miles (estimated at $200,000 to $250,000). There’s also a chance to own a 1994 911 Speedster or a 1994 911 Turbo 3.6 (both estimated between $200,000 and $250,000).

“What’s on the rise in Porsche circles now are cars of exceptional rarity and condition, and this gentleman had the foresight to get all that early on,” says RM Sotheby’s specialist Alexander Weaver, himself a 964 owner. “For most of these cars, which were offered in Europe or Japan, people here [in the United States] didn’t know what they were unless they really knew what to look for.”

Now that a 1993 model has hit 25 years of age, it doesn’t fall victim to U.S. Department of Transportation import rules, which means that these rest-of-the-world Porsches will increasingly find their way into the garages of stateside collectors.

“Simply put, very limited 964s are now some of the hottest cars you can buy,” says Weaver. “The appreciation for this model is surging.”