The Porsche 993 Is 30 Years Old This Month

I remember when the 993 was a new car. That, it turns out, was quite a while ago. Scrolling Instagram, I noticed a post from the Porsche Museum noting that the 993 turned 30 years of age this month. Damn.

We actually missed its birthday. This, the last iteration of air-cooled 911, debuted in early September at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show. Also there were a number of city car concepts including the Mercedes Vision A93, which became the A-Class, the Audi ASF concept, which previewed the first A8, and the Dodge Neon. Interesting company to say the least.

The 993 came at a rough time for Porsche. Sales were down badly after a global recession, and on top of that, Porsche's outdated production methods meant that the few cars it did sell weren't profitable. It was around this time that work on the Boxster and 996-generation 911 began with the aim of cutting costs and boosting production. Porsche even brought in Toyota consultants to help on the manufacturing side.

These were dark days, but the 993 was a bright spot. Still basically the same 911 that had debuted 30 years prior, the 993 benefitted from years of careful evolution. The highlights for the base Carrera were a revised 3.6-liter flat-six, a sixth ratio added for the manual gearbox, and a new all-aluminum suspension featuring the 911's first multi-link rear axle. All of this wrapped in some of the prettiest bodywork ever to grace the rear-engine sports car.

A great car, but not a strong seller. Porsche made around 68,000 over the course of four model years, making it the rarest of all 911 generations. Now, it's a classic, not only representing the end of an era, but an excellent car to own and drive too.

And yes, Porsche Museum, I do feel old.

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