By the early 1990s, Porsche saw that the writing was on the wall for their infamous air-cooled engines and they would have to change to liquid-cooling due to tightening emissions standards. But for the air-cooled engine’s final sendoff, Porsche developed the 993 chassis, the most advanced and well-rounded 911 ever produced. In large part, every prior generation 911 was an evolution of the car that debuted in 1964- some years featured larger changes but, the 993 was the most comprehensive overhaul with only 20% of the parts carried over from the previous 964. The 993 was the first 911 with a 6-speed manual transmission and featured a completely new rear suspension with a light alloy subframe and multi-link Weissach axle. Styled by English designer Tony Hatter, the 993 was more streamlined, with flared rear fenders and raked-back headlights at the front of the pontoon fenders.
This 1994 Carrera is from the car’s first year of production and is specified in an exceptional enthusiast specification. Finished in a beautiful shade of Aventurine Green, the car is fitted with a set of Porsche’s classic 17” Cup 2 wheels and shows in excellent condition all the way around. The car has only had two owners from new with the second owner taking possession in 1997 and keeping it to present. As a testament to how well cared for this 993 is, it retains its original Italian license plates which are included with the sale. Throughout the car’s life, it has received most of its servicing at a local workshop but received a comprehensive €2.700 servicing at Porsche of Pavia in August of 2022.
As previously mentioned, this car was clearly purchased by an enthusiast when new and although it doesn’t feature a lot of options, everything that was selected will improve the experience behind the wheel. One option that is noticeable to the keen 911 enthusiast from the exterior is the M030 sport suspension, which lowers the ride height by 20mm and adds stiffer shock absorbers and slightly larger anti-roll bars. This also gives the car an excellent stance, sitting squat on the 17” Cup 2 wheels but still offering ample ground clearance for driving around town. To help put the power down in the tighter mountain passes, a factory limited slip differential was optioned with a 40% lockup- this makes the car exciting to drive and allows for some tail-out fun if you so choose. These early 993s also feature a different gearbox than the later cars with shorter ratios, making the car feel more alive and happy to zing towards the redline.
The inside of the car is finished in black leather and is presented in outstanding original condition throughout. One unique interior feature on this early model 993 is the dashboard-mounted Becker Grand Prix cassette head unit- a model that was more frequently seen in Mercedes of the era. Additionally, this car has been outfitted with the all important option of air conditioning- which for the first time in an air-cooled 911, was a system that truly did a good job of keeping the occupants cool. Overall, the interior has been remarkably well kept and even after 93,958 km of use, appears to be in very good condition.
The 993 Carrera went on sale in Europe in January of 1994 and this car was built during the second week of that month, making this one of the earliest production 993s out there. Presented in a great color combination and with a small but well chosen list of options, this Carrera is the perfect car for someone looking for a 993 in its purest form.
