PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
When magazines discuss significant Porsches, they’ll rightly mention the value of a 2.7 RS, perhaps the 959’s influence on future 911s, or the Cayenne SUV’s contribution to Stuttgart’s industry-leading profitability. The Boxster not so much, but a few miles through the wilds of the Pennines tells you that this mid-engined sports car remains a dynamic benchmark, never mind its importance to Porsche’s modern-day renaissance, as conversations with period Porsche management will attest.
Conceived under then-new boss Wendelin Wiedeking, the Boxster achieved sales figures that say it all: in 1989 Porsche’s sales had slipped from around 40,000 units annually to 15,000; yet between 1996 and 2004, Porsche shifted 164,874 first-generation ‘986’ Boxsters alone, or around 20,000 each year.
And this year Porsche’s entry-level sports car turns 25, putting its contribution back in the spotlight. So how much for this classic Porsche of such historical significance? Not much. Low five-figure budgets turn up some of the nicest examples, but photographer Dan Bathie paid just £3500 earlier this year for the car you see here. Of course it isn’t concours, but this manual 2.5 is appealingly finished in the same silver exterior and terracotta interior colours as the original Boxster Concept shown at the 1993 Detroit motor show, as well as early launch models, and presents as a smart and useable example. A bargain.
Drives well too: over the twists of the Pennines it offers
