A car having had a celebrity owner is a pretty dubious way for the value to be inflated. But when that owner is one of the most famous automotive journalists in the world, it might be worth taking another look. This 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera->ke282 is currently owned by none other than James May, a man who was, until very recently, a presenter on BBC's->ke282 Top Gear.->ke1860 As such, it's a pretty good bet that it has been well taken care of, and any doubts about whether May really owns it can be assuaged by the fact that he has driven the car on TV.

This isn't just any 911 either; this is the final incarnation of the original 911 before it was replaced in 1989 by the Type 964,->ke740 the Carrera 3.2. As May points out in the press release, it is a supremely '80s car, wearing Guards Red paint and the giant “whale tail” spoiler for which '80s 911s are justly famous. The stereo currently has a CD player installed, but if you want it, May has a cassette player that he'll throw in so that you can get a more complete '80s experience.

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Why it matters

The Carrera name was used intermittently by Porsche->ke1 prior to 1984, usually reserved for versions of cars which were somehow special. But with the introduction of the Carrera 3.2, the name became the default nameplate for naturally aspirated versions of the 911. This was especially helpful when the 964 was introduced a few years later, as the Turbo would no longer have a separate numerical designation (as with the 930),->ke930 and the nomenclature would help to differentiate them.

Porsche nerdism aside, the Carrera 3.2 is quite a valuable car, being as it is the culmination of every little tweak Porsche made to the car since 1963, before the full-on second generation was introduced. The engine was drastically changed from the one used before, with Porsche saying it was “80 percent new.” It was also bigger (3.2 liters, in case that wasn't obvious) and made more power: a total of 231 horsepower, up 27 from the previous version of the flat-six engine.

This particular Carrera 3.2 was driven mostly by James May's father, but we're guessing that the celebrity ownership will still add a bit to the price when the car goes up for auction.