13,000-mile Speedster pairs its unusual exterior color with a brown interior and brown top that will definitely raise some eyebrows
May 25, 2024 at 07:37
- 1989 Porsche Speedster finished in special order yellow is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer.
- Early 1970s L117-code paint on body and wheels is contrasted by a brown hood and interior.
- 215 hp, 3.2-liter G-series 911 has covered just 13,000 miles from new.
The first Porsche 911 Speedster doesn’t need a ton of help to stand out from the crowd. A combination of wide Turbo arches (almost nobody chose the narrow-body option), the smooth, spoiler-free tail of a basic Carrera, a cut-down windshield and rigid rear tonneau meant you’d have to be suffering from locked-in syndrome not to turn your head when one cruised past.
But this 1989 Speedster takes look-at-me to a new level for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is its incredible code-L117 Light Yellow coat, which definitely wasn’t on the list of standard colors available for 1989. The build sheet describes it as a ‘paint to sample’ color, which you might argue is only partially true because Porsche was already familiar with the shade, having offered it on 911s in the early and mid 1970s.
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Anyway, it’s a striking color, and made all the more so by also being used on the centers of the 16-inch Fuchs wheels, and matched with a Mahogany partial leather interior and equally brown lightweight fabric hood hidden under the flip-up rigid tonneau cover. There can’t have been many Porsche fans fantasizing about this color combo back in 1989. Or anyone other than this car’s first owner, if we’re honest.
But we’re glad he did because it’s refreshing to see a new twist on a familiar car, and since this original U.S.-market example – one of 823 delivered in the country that year – has covered just 13,000 miles (21,000 km), the paint and interior are in great condition.
As, we imagine, is the fuel-injected 3.2-liter flat-six, which was rated at 215 hp (218 PS) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) in North America, down from 228 hp (231 PS) and 210 lb-ft (285 Nm) for non-catalyst Euro models. And this being a post-’86 classic 911, it gets the much more modern G50 five-speed transmission whose shift action suggests the lever might genuinely be hooked up to the transmission, rather than simply floating in the ether.
This Speedster’s eye-catching garb certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of weissbeer, but the fact that it’s so unusual is bound to generate plenty of bidding activity. Check out the full auction listing here.
