1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2

Porsche has always been fluent in the art of feel - that delicate balance between grip and slip, noise and nuance, the quiet conversation between driver and machine that has defined the 911 for generations.

By 1985, the Carrera 3.2 had distilled that essence into something wonderfully complete. Familiar, yes, but sharpened - the same silhouette that had become an icon by then, now paired with a broader spread of torque, a more sophisticated engine management system, and a maturity that never dulled its edge.

This particular car - a 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet finished in Silver Metallic over Red leather - captures that moment in time perfectly. Delivered new to the UK and imported to Australia in 1999, it has lived a careful life ever since, the odometer showing just over 100,000 miles. It feels every inch a proper, usable 911: one that’s been exercised, not entombed.

Its service record tells the story of diligent ownership and expert care. Most recently serviced by DHM Auto Solutions in May 2024 at 100,234 miles, the car has benefitted from regular maintenance including a new clutch, rear brake calipers and lines, alternator, steering components, and suspension work completed between 2022 and 2024. K-Tec Autohaus also carried out routine servicing in 2022, while underbody restoration and stone-guard protection were performed in 2024. The result is a mechanically strong, well-sorted example ready to be driven as Porsche intended.

The 3.2-litre flat-six remains one of the marque’s sweetest engines. With 231 horsepower and that unmistakable air-cooled timbre, it feels alive even before you’ve moved an inch. The clutch has that measured weight, the 915 gearbox rewards precision, and once warm, it all comes together in that quintessential 911 rhythm - light nose, heavy hips, and a steering wheel that brims with feedback. Drop the roof and the soundtrack becomes intoxicating, every throttle blip bouncing off the world behind you.

Inside, the Red leather has aged gracefully, its creases more like the lines on a familiar face than flaws. The brushed metal, the upright dash, the honesty of it all - there’s something deeply human about a cockpit built before touchscreens and traffic-assist.

The Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet occupies a lovely space in Porsche’s history - the bridge between the rawness of the earlier cars and the refinement of the 964. And in today’s world, it feels wonderfully analogue: no filters, no driving modes, just an honest conversation between car and driver.