For 1995, it’s largely agreed that just 306 Porsche 968 cabriolets made their way to North America, marking it as relatively rare indeed. While the 968 was offered from the first year as a cabriolet, each was built by Porsche as a coupe, which was shuttled to Heilbronn, Germany, where ASC performed the conversion, removing the backseat and hatchback roof to create the cabriolet. Once completed, the cars were sent back to Porsche for final assembly. This one showed 54,258 miles at the time of consignment, and is presented in black with a black convertible top and a light gray leather interior. The 3.0L/236 HP DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine features VarioCam variable valve timing and produces 225 lb-ft of torque, and is paired with a 6-speed manual transaxle. The capable chassis is set with 4-wheel disc brakes adorned with Porsche-script calipers, and a 4-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts, aluminum front control arms and rear trailing arms. The interior is detailed with wood-grain trim and fitted with bucket seats, a center console, a rear package tray in place of the backseat, automatic climate control, cruise control, full instrumentation, an updated stereo system, power windows, power locks and power mirrors. Rolling on low-profile General G-Max tires with bright-finish 5-spoke alloy wheels, the 968 is fitted with fog lights and exposed, pop-up headlights. When it was introduced for the 1976 model year, the Porsche 924 raised a lot of eyebrows. Replacing the entry-level 914, the 924 featured a water-cooled frontally-mounted 4-cylinder engine and a rear-mounted transmission. It had a backseat and a cavernous rear luggage area enclosed by a bubbly glass hatch. The pointed nose housed pop-up headlights, and it was a great way forward from the outgoing mid-engine, two-seat 914. For 1982, Porsche introduced the 944 as an upscale complement to the 924, and for 1992, Porsche would introduce the 968 as the sole entry-level offering. Interestingly, while the outward design of the 968 showed considerable updates, the interior was largely a carryover from the final iteration of the 944 S2. The engine was enlarged and refined, as were the transmission and chassis. Available as either a coupe or convertible, the 968 hosted a fairly lofty price tag from the onset, largely due to various economic pressures in both Europe and North America, causing buyers to reconsider purchasing them. This consumer hesitation swayed the 968 to the rarer side, and 1995 would be the model’s final year.
