1990 Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2

Despite the fact that Steve McQueen's 1971 film Le Mans is full of drama, disaster and despair, it's most commonly remembered for the opening sequence with McQueen quietly making his way through Northern France in his 1970 'D' Series 911 S. The Slate Grey car looks entirely at home on a misty early morning as the Porsche gently negotiates the sweeping, tree-lined curves of the D35 between Brulon and Cheville with no soundtrack apart from a little Michel Legrand flute music and an occasional 'gruffle' from the flat-six and, with the benefit of nostalgia, Slate Grey is now the ‘coolest’ colour for classic 911s.

This striking 911 (964) Carrera 2 dates from 1990 and is indeed finished in Slate Grey with a black leather interior and 968 alloys. It’s a right-hand drive Carrera 2 powered by 3.6-litre 250bhp flat-six with a 5-speed manual gearbox and capable of 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and 160mph.

It was bought by our vendor, a Porsche enthusiast, in 2009 as a ‘Category D’ insurance claim (damaged but repairable - insurance company chose not to repair). Apparently there was front end damage to the bumper and the front oil-cooler. During the front end repair, the engine was refilled and ran perfectly, however, it was stripped with a view to a possible rebuild but very little wear was found and it was reassembled with a basic refresh only 5,000 miles ago. The front end was rebuilt with a new bumper assembly but the wings are original.

Since completion, some ten years ago, he has enjoyed various trips including the Nürburgring and it was even loaned to Lancaster Porsche on an open evening launch as they were unable to find a suitably attractive Porsche 964!

The car will come to the sale with a fresh MOT and is very sensibly estimated for a 964 of this quality, an ideal entry into the world of 911 ownership. Ready to be enjoyed during what’s left of this summer, maybe even a trip to Northern France with the Autumn sunshine dappling through the trees onto those gleaming Slate Grey wings and the soundtrack from Le Mans playing in the background. Why not?