Are convertibles really more expensive in summer? When is the perfect time to buy a Porsche?

Time and again, we at Elferspot receive messages from readers asking about the perfect time to buy or sell a Porsche. Specifically, the questions include: Are convertibles more expensive in summer than in winter? Are there generally seasonal price differences? When does a Porsche sell the fastest? When is the best time of year to advertise my Porsche for sale? For this analysis, we evaluated more than 45,000 Elferspot advertisements and looked at whether seasonal differences in prices and demand can be identified on the Porsche market.

“Convertibles fetch higher prices in summer” – truth or myth?

At first glance, it sounds completely logical: as soon as the weather improves, the asking prices for convertibles rise. After all, the first beautiful days of the year make many people long for a drive with the roof down. But what is the truth behind the theory that convertibles are more expensive in summer than in fall or winter? Is it true – or is it nothing more than a myth?

Porsche 911 Cabriolets from G-Model to 991 on Elferspot

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The answer to this question is not easy to determine. A mere comparison between summer and winter offer prices falls short of the mark. After all, the market prices of many Porsche models have changed significantly in recent years. In order not to confuse seasonal effects with such general market movements, we have compared the median prices of the individual quarters with the price level of the corresponding model series.

The Porsche 911 G-Model already casts doubt on the summer theory

We started the analysis with a real evergreen: The Porsche 911 G-Model. For the Carrera and SC Cabriolets, there is no general price increase in spring and summer. Their price level in the second and third quarters is at the level of the respective annual median. However, a minimal discount of 1.7 percent on average in the offer prices at the end of the year was offset by a 4.9 percent increase in prices in the first quarter.

In other words, asking prices for the G-Model Cabriolet variants tended to be highest at the beginning of the year, but largely returned to normal levels in the middle of the year. A typical summer mark-up is therefore not discernible here.

Are there seasonal price differences for Porsche 964 or 993?

The situation is completely different for the Porsche 964. Here, the prices for Carrera 2 and 4 Cabriolets in the third and fourth quarters, i.e. from July to December, are virtually on a par with the reference median. At the beginning of the year, however, the median asking price is around 2.2 percent below the reference median. Whereas in the second quarter, the average asking price rises 4.7 percent above the median. 964 Cabriolets are therefore offered at their cheapest prices from January to March, average in the second half of the year and most expensive at the start of the season in spring.

The price development of Porsche 993 Carrera 2 and 4 Cabriolets is different again. There are virtually no significant seasonal price differences here. A 993 Carrera Cabriolet did not cost less or more in winter than in summer. The average asking price per quarter has always been close to the reference median since 2020. With a deviation of only a few hundred euros, seasonal effects can probably be ruled out for the last air-cooled 911 Cabriolet.

Major differences in the Targa models – but different than expected

Air-cooled Porsche 911 Cabriolets therefore show little price difference between the seasons. But what about the Targas? A look at the “safety convertibles” of the G-Model series reveals some exciting findings. In the first three quarters, prices are on average within one percent of the median price. In the fourth quarter, however, prices are around 6.5 percent lower. They are therefore not more expensive in summer, but only cheaper in winter – albeit up to 5,000 euros less than the median price for the entire period.

Porsche 911 Targas in particular show that open-top Porsches cannot be lumped together.

There are also seasonal price differences for the Porsche 964 Targa. Surprisingly, however, the beautiful Targas built between 1989 and 1994 are by far the most expensive in the first quarter. At 96,500 euros, the median prices for this quarter were exactly 4,000 euros above the overall median for the years 2020 to 2025. The other quarters, on the other hand, are all weaker in terms of price.

Porsche 911 Targa prices per quarter

While G-Model Targas are cheaper at the end of the year, but otherwise remain stable and 964 prices are particularly high at the beginning of the year, the situation is completely different for the 993 Targa. Here, the entire first half of the year is weaker in terms of price, in some cases up to 6,000 euros below the median prices. Prices in the fourth quarter almost correspond to the median, while peak prices are achieved in the summer quarter from July to September in particular.

No clear trends for the air-cooled models – What about the water-cooled 911s?

After this mixed picture for the air-cooled representatives with an open roof, the question arises as to whether there is a clearer result for the more modern 911 convertibles. At least with the first water-cooled 911, the Porsche 996, there are no significant seasonal differences, however. At 2.6 percent below the overall median in Q2 and 2.2 percent above the median in Q4, the deviations are noticeable in relative terms, but in absolute terms, with a price difference of 1,000 euros, they are not attributable to seasonal trends.

The situation is somewhat different for the Porsche 997, where all quarters are almost exactly in line with the annual median, with one exception: the first quarter. At the beginning of the year, Porsche 997 Carrera Cabriolets cost an average of 3.0 percent less than in the rest of the year. This means on average around 2,000 euros lower asking prices than from April to the end of the year.

To add to the confusion, and to cast final doubt on the initial hypothesis that convertibles are cheaper in winter, everything is different again with the Porsche 991. Here, open-top Carrera models tend to be more expensive in the first half of the year than in the second. With one caveat: These figures are slightly favored by the fact that on average more cars with lower mileages tended to be offered in the first two quarters from 2020 to 2025.

There are no consistent seasonal effects for coupés either

No general seasonal pattern can be identified for coupés either. For example, the Porsche 997 Carrera Coupés tend to be particularly strong at the beginning of the year, while 996 Coupés tend to achieve higher median prices in the summer. In contrast, the 964 is comparatively stable, and the 993 also shows manageable fluctuations. So, seasonal price movements do not follow a uniform logic for the closed-roof 911 models either.

Seasonal effects on the Porsche market are reflected in market dynamics rather than prices

Our analysis thus shows quite clearly that the popular theory of convertibles being generally more expensive in summer cannot be confirmed for the Porsche 911. However, we noticed something else in the data. Not every open-top 911 is more expensive in summer – but many find a buyer more quickly in the warmer months.

We see, that the trend is the same from the Porsche 911 G-Model to the 991: The quickest sales for all model series happen either in the second or third quarter. The quarters in which sellers have to be most patient are, with one exception, either the first or last quarter of the year. Only the Porsche 991 takes the longest to market a convertible between July and September.

There are no uniform seasonal effects in Porsche prices, but there are in market dynamics

Our analysis of more than 45,000 advertisements shows one thing above all: there is no general seasonal price premium for Porsche convertibles – nor for coupés or Targas, for that matter. Although differences can be recognized depending on the model series, they are too varied to derive a simple rule. The picture is much clearer when it comes to market dynamics: many open-top 911s sell faster in spring and summer than in fall or winter.

© Cover picture: David Fierlinger, Elferspot