Guide price: £90000 - £105000.
- One of Paul Stephens' much-admired creations on a 3.2 Carerra platform Sold by him in July 2013
- A gentle 'homage' to the '73 and '74 RS without being a carbon copy
- The 3.2 was upgraded to 250bhp during the build.
- A further £15,000 spent on improvements and upgrades since its purchase 
- Lots of  RS styling cues.Beautiful period Slate Grey with a black interior
- Just 40,700 miles from new and has been maintained regardless of cost
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 911S. 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 Michael Legrand flue music and an occasional 'gruffle' from the flat-six.I guess there must be lots of people who have thought from time to time of replicating that trip and, whilst the D35 has changed little, the values of early 911s have moved on quite considerably. For many years the '73 and '74 'RS have enjoyed a similar tariff to a row of terrace houses in Bradford and the 2.2 and 2.4-litre 911S have been catching up quickly with even the 'E' and 'T' becoming a carefully considered purchase. And then there is the rebuild and a couple of coats of Slate Grey. What was to be done?The answer was to take a much later car, a mid-eighties Carrera 3.2 or (eventually) a 964, clothe it in those lovely sweeping curves of the pre-impact bumper cars, 'backdate' a number of features and update those creature comforts and safety features that can't be seen from the outside. A sort of bespoke early seventies 911 that goes, stops, and steers and has a little socket for your MP3 player.A number of very capable companies offer this service today but twenty years ago the only commercial builder of made to measure 911s was Paul Stephens in Essex. His business has thrived and under the AutoArt brand, his handcrafted creations continue to be well received.The Porsche on offer here has indeed emerged from Paul Stephens studio and was purchased from him in 2013. The car is a 1984, 3.2 Carrera backdated with panels that represent a 911 from the early seventies. The original 3.2-litre engine was retained with a few upgrades to produce 250bhp and there were a number of other modifications that resulted in this classic PS. (details with the car). When fully prepared, it was painted with a number of coats of, you've guessed it, Porsche Slate Grey with the interior in black leather.Since his purchase, our vendor has invested a further £15,000 on upgrades and performance enhancements. The whole car has covered just 40,700 miles from new and has been maintained regardless of cost. As can be seen from the photographs the coachwork, paintwork and trim are all excellent. We understand that "The car drives faultlessly and feels more modern structurally and well balanced on the road".At first glance, the car looks like a Concours-quality classic 911, which is exactly what Paul Stephens was aiming for - you'd never believe the car began life as a 3.2 Carrera and you might even imagine that this is what Mr McQ's 1970 911S might have looked like if it had developed naturally.The D35 awaits. Faites de beaux reves.