The Porsche 911 S/T has already cemented itself as one of the great roadgoing sports cars from Weissach. With just 1963 examples of the anniversary special planned for production, demand for an allocation is fierce. In an effort to limit the insane prices brought on by American flipping culture, Porsche has decided to limit buyers’ actual ownership of the vehicle for at least a year after the car rolls off of a local lot.
Porsche’s Frank Moser, vice president of the 911 and 718 model lines, detailed these unusual restrictions at the Rennsport Reunion 7 event in California over the weekend, The Drive reports. The executive explained to the press pool at the event that a stipulation has been added to the 911 S/T purchase contract, which aims to limit the impact that resellers will have on the model’s market value. The contract dictates that buyers of the 911 S/T will technically lease the cars from Porsche for a year, at which point ownership of the vehicle will be officially transferred to the respective buyer.
“We want to ensure that cars are available [to] reach true enthusiasts, to be driven and enjoyed for years to come,” Moser told the press. “For this reason, those allocated a 911 S/T in the U.S. will be required to adhere to an agreed minimum retention period, set at one year.”
The automaker is likely trying to prevent a situation like the one that took place with the 911 R from the 991 generation. Collectors and flippers alike flocked to the limited-production model, which at the time was the only way to get a GT3 engine mated to a manual gearbox. After seeing the insane prices involved with 911 R sales on the secondary market, Porsche unveiled the GT3 Touring and brought the manual back into the fray.
While tamping down on the flipper market in the United States was never the brand’s official reason, it likely didn’t hurt the decision. Values of the 911 R are still tremendous for a modern sports car, but they’ve come back down to where you’d expect a sub-1000 unit Porsche to be. We’ll have to wait and see if this effort is actually enough to prevent the 911 S/T from becoming true unobtanium.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.