As early as 1987 911 Carrera sales had slipped back to around 17,000. By the end of that year Peter Schutz – who had revved the company through the first part of the decade – was gone. He was replaced by well-trusted Porsche finance man Heinz Branitski, tasked with finding Porsche a new direction – yet again.

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And there was a further problem. Loyal Porsche customers often had bought a 911 because it was something unique, not on display in every town center car park. With the marque’s sudden rampant popularity, this exclusivity had evaporated.

Branitski needed to win back the loyalty of these core customers. And there wasn’t that much cash around at the company to do this with. In 1989, the last year of the 3.2 Carrera, less than 7,000 models had been built: Porsche plunged into recession on a scale the company could not have predicted.

With its back to the wall, Porsche resolved to fight its way out of trouble with the one major asset that had hauled it back from the brink in previous hard times: the engineering team at the Porsche Development Center at Weissach. ‘We make ideas tangible’ is the motto of the model makers at Porsche’s Development Centre in Weissach. In the early stages of a design, when the team wants to illustrate the proportions of a future car, a variety of different plastic block materials are used. However, the first visualisation is always created out of modelling clay.

From there, step by step, the ideas of the department come to life. Here, the secret alchemy of Porsche’s future takes place in the foundry, where every day at 1.30pm, the inhouse production of robust development components with modified alloys takes place.

That engineers managed to pull still more innovations from the 911 ideas pile in the late 1980s is astonishing. And much of this was due to the 959 program, which gave them a healthy reserve of tech to draw upon.

The Porsche 959 was a wonder car: only 283 manufactured, all pre-sold at a very large price.

The 959 was a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1993, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring at least 200 units be produced.

The twin-turbocharged 959 was the world’s fastest street-legal production car when introduced, achieving a top speed of 317 km/h (197 mph), with some variants even capable of achieving 339 km/h (211 mph). Combining race-car performance with luxury-sedan comfort and everyday drivability in dry, wet and snowy conditions, it was considered the most technologically advanced road car of its time.

After the successful introduction of all-wheel drive on more rally-specific cars like the Audi Quattro, it was one of the first pure high-performance sports-cars with all-wheel drive, providing the basis for Porsche’s first all-wheel drive 911 Carrera 4 model. Some of the 959’s technology was creamed off into the new range of 911s, the Carrera 4 and Carrera 2. There was even a new factory in which these cars would be built: a body assembly plant at Zuffenhausen, decorated in striking pink.

Officially announced in November 1988 but leaked to the press a year earlier, the Carrera 4 was a significant development for Porsche.

Whereas all previous 911s were part of a continuous development stream that could be traced back to 1963, the Carrera 4 was 87 per cent new, and as such it should be judged the first stage of the second generation of Porsche.

And the changes on the four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 were understated by the factory. But anyone who looked closely could see that the ’87 percent new’ tag had real credibility. The engine, suspension, brakes, and transmission were all new. Under the skin, the 911 had been truly transformed.

So out of the midst of the cultural and financial morass of the late 1980s emerged pure gold.

And at Beverly Hills Car Club we presently have a splendid example of this, a 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet featured with 88,184 miles on the odometer, finished in its factory color scheme of Guards Red, paired with a Cashmere Beige interior. The exterior is further accented by a convertible soft-top and a matching boot cover, offering the option of open-air driving.

This 964 is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission and is powered by the characteristic 3.6-liter Flat-six engine. Notable features include four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, a single exhaust outlet, and 16-inch alloy wheels. Exterior lighting consists of Bosch-branded headlights and fog lights. Standard accessories such as a tool roll and a spare tire are located in the front trunk.

Convenience features for the cabin include air conditioning, cruise control, power-adjustable seats, power-operated windows, 4-spoke steering wheel, dual-side rearview mirrors, an analog clock, center console, glove box, door pockets, and a Porsche radio. This example is accompanied by the owner’s manual, manufacturer’s literature, and a clean CARFAX report.

For those seeking a German classic that combines a classic design with heritage, this 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet is mechanically sound.

-Alex Manos, Owner