1997 Porsche 993 Carrera S, Japan-market Vesuvio Metallic car with a $25,500 opening bid
Early bid on a widebody 993 C2S; even at high-mile Tiptronic money it should land well under $100k.
1997 Porsche 911 Carrera S (993)
Sold Why we picked it
Why we picked it: the 993 Carrera S pairs the last air-cooled 911 engine with the wide Turbo body, and it is one of the most sought-after air-cooled cars. This one was sold new in Japan, where the seller says one dentist owner drove it daily for 28 years, and it is now with a dealer in Irvine, California with a clean title and a clean CARFAX. The seller calls it a Vesuvio Edition, one of a reported 60, finished in Vesuvio Metallic with Steel Gray accents and Cashmere Beige leather. We could not confirm that production figure, so treat it as the seller's claim.
The bid sits at $25,500 with five days left, while comparable high-mileage Tiptronic C2S coupes have sold for roughly $80,000 to $101,000 this year. This is a reserve auction and bids usually climb sharply at the end, so the opening number means little. The appeal is a widebody 993 that may sell for less than manual cars because of its Tiptronic gearbox and 151,000 miles. The seller lists an engine-out reseal, new timing-chain covers, steering-rack seals and front control-arm bushings, and an independent inspection rated the engine in great condition.
The value check
When we found it, the bid was $55,500. Comparable cars in the same condition have sold for $80,000–$101,000, so the middle of the market is about $90,500. That put this car 39% under.
High-mileage Tiptronic 993 Carrera S coupes have recently sold for roughly $80,000-$101,000: a 149k-mile German car brought EUR 73,500 at Collecting Cars (Jun 2026), an 84k-mile UK car brought GBP 59,500 (Apr 2026) and a 42k-mile Japan-market car brought $100,993 on BaT (Jul 2026). The $25,500 bid is an early reserve-auction bid and will climb.
- classic.com 993 Carrera S sold results (Tiptronic cars $100,993 BaT Jul 2026; EUR 73,500 Collecting Cars Jun 2026)
- PCARMARKET RoW 1997 993 Carrera S Tiptronic, 78k km, $118,000 (Sep 2025)
What to check
- Japan-market (RoW) car: confirm US import, EPA/DOT release paperwork and the clean US title in hand before bidding.
- Odometer reads in kilometers (243,190 km, about 151,000 miles).
- 4-speed Tiptronic S: the seller notes slight seepage and a slightly choppy second gear; budget for a transmission service or rebuild.
- 993 weak points: secondary air injection ports, valve-guide wear on high-mile engines, oil leaks and dual-mass flywheel wear.
- Paint has fade on the hood, rock chips and some resprays; the seats show wear.
- The Vesuvio Edition and 'one of 60' story is the seller's claim; ask for documentation.
Making it drive like new
Keep the body and the 3.6 as they are; this is a car to service, not to rebuild. Sort the Tiptronic or plan a 6-speed manual conversion with a matching ECU, refresh bushings and dampers with an OE-style or Bilstein setup, and add modern Michelin Pilot Sport tires on the factory-style 18-inch wheels.
How it ended
It sold for $122,000 on Oct 27, 2026, against a market value of about $90,500 when we found it.
What 1965–98 Porsche 911, air-cooled cars sell for
| Condition | Sales | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | 37 | $4,500 | $30,500 | $101,010 |
| Driver | 88 | $31,000 | $59,975 | $172,000 |
| Collector | 29 | $61,411 | $112,000 | $270,000 |
| Pro-build | 2 | $37,000 | $79,750 | $122,500 |
Recent sales
| Car | Condition | Result | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera (993) coupe, 6-speed with factory rear-seat delete, no reserve | Driver | $94,695 | Oct 30, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo, numbers-matching US car with RUF touches, no reserve | Driver | $117,700 | Oct 30, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo slicktop project, untouched since 2007, no reserve | Project | $89,880 | Oct 30, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1973 Porsche 911E Targa with MFI, COA and original order sheet, no reserve | Collector | $121,980 | Oct 29, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1971 Porsche 911S coupe with COA and records, no-reserve collection lot | Collector | $196,880 | Oct 29, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1967 Porsche 911 SWB coupe with 2.7L six, Porsche CoA and no reserve | ProjectDriver | $92,020 | Oct 28, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1969 Porsche 911E coupe with its numbers-matching engine rebuilt and MFI refurbished, no reserve | Driver | $75,970 | Oct 28, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1965 Porsche 911 early SWB project with its original 2.0 engine, no reserve | Project | $80,679 | Oct 28, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
